Grissom's Dilemma
by GSRgirlforever
Summary: Grissom and Sara are about to go through some life changes, are the two going to be able to survive the changes coming thier way?
1. Going Home

Chapter 1

**I decided this story needed a serious makeover. I will be re-posting four chapters a night until it is done. Hope you like the remake.**

Chapter 1

Sara smacked the top of the table hard with the magnifying glass. The case was at a standstill, the suspect list long, and the evidence on short supply. The female DB was found raped and strangled in murder central at a hotel off the strip and although there was an overwhelming amount of fingerprints to go over, the rest of the evidence for the case was minute.

Sara always took these cases personally and although Gil warned her not to get attached to the victim, it was always hard for her to do this due to her past, but she tried. This case was just getting to her and she couldn't help it.

Growing up in a violent home made her hyper sensitive to this kind of case and she was determined to find something to get the bastard who committed this horrible crime to this woman.

It wasn't until after she had smacked the table she realized Grissom was watching her. Although her back was to him, she could sense he was in the room and was regretting her actions against the poor magnifying glass.

Gil looked in on Sara and noticed her brows were scrunched together, though this did not detract from her natural beauty he knew it only happened when she was becoming consumed by a case.

She had her long chestnut hair back in a clip revealing her long neck and her even darker chestnut eyes were trained on the evidence in front of her. She seemed to be stressed, this being proven when she suddenly gave a frustrated groan and smacked the magnifying glass she was holding against the table in front of her.

He knew he must do something to ease the amount of tension threatening to overwhelm her or he was going to have to requisition some more magnifying glasses, and he was damned if he was going to fill out more paperwork, even for the sanity of the woman he held most dear in his life, so he took the easy way out and headed into the room.

She was inspecting the sheet from the bed when he came up and leaned over her shoulder, "find anything new?"

She knew what he was up to but decided he was right and played along, and although to the naked eye he was not doing anything suspicious, he knew how his proximity would affect her and smiled when she had a hard time answering him.

His hips were mere inches from hers and she could feel the heat emanating from his body and his breath on her neck as he spoke. She could smell the scent of his soap and the coffee he drinks consistently throughout the day.

She could feel the slow burn of desire grow in her belly but she finally managed to squeak out a "no". Noticing the difference in her he smiled, oh he loved playing this game.

She could give as well as she got and he knew that, but he was pushing the envelope a little further than they usually did and acted as if he was doing nothing when in fact he knew what happened when he came this close to her.

He leaned in a bit closer, their hips coming into contact and his chest met with her back, she sucked in a breath and instinctively leaned into him, enjoying the sensation of having him so close to her.

The feel of having her so close to him was effecting him as much as it seemed to affect her, but he didn't back down, "You know it wasn't very nice of you to do that to the magnifying glass" he stated with mock seriousness in his voice.

She gave a small laugh and relaxed against him slightly. She hadn't realized she was that tense until her shoulders released their built up tension and she felt herself surrender to the feel of him. Therefore, she felt a great sense of loss when he abruptly stood up grabbed his own magnifying glass and sat in the chair next to her.

She was about to ask him why he moved when she noticed Nick entering the room. Nick displayed no indication that he had witnessed what just went on and began to talk to Grissom about the case he and Warwick were currently working on.

Grissom listened intently and asked him a couple of questions here and there, periodically looking over at Sara when she asked one of her own questions. She began to think of what could have happened had Grissom not noticed Nick coming and although she knew he was only trying to lower the amount of pressure on her she still considered it to be a foolish thing for Grissom to do.

He knew just being close to him set her blood on fire, yet he made sure to lean in close enough for her to be able to feel his breath on her neck and the smell of his soap. She could still feel the warmth of his body against her back.

She closed her eyes and began to envision him lying naked against her on their bed after a session of lovemaking, the feel of his skin next to hers, still damp from the exertion. The fire that had begun to wane reared itself back to life and she could feel her face begin to warm along with another part of her anatomy.

She could tell that her face must have been red when Nick entered the room, and that it was growing even redder with the thoughts now coursing through her mind.

This was confirmed when he asked, "Are you ok Sara, you look a little flushed. Your not getting sick are you?" Hearing this from Nick jarred Sara back to the here and now and her face grew crimson.

This statement made Grissom smile because he knew exactly why Sara was so flush, and it was entirely his fault. He could only imagine the thoughts coursing through her mind at the moment and wished he could read them. He saw her slightly shake her head before she managed a response.

"Huh? No, I'm fine Nick; I just need a little air is all. I've been processing evidence for 8 hours."

At hearing this the thoughts racing through his mind suddenly shifted and he frowned, he knew this case was going to get to her when they first began it, that was why he partnered himself with her in the first place, but he was unaware she was letting it go this far.

He looked at her a little closer and realized just how tired she looked, she had light purple shadows under her eyes and although she was blushing at the moment her skin was a little more on the pale side then usual.

Growing a little concerned he asked, "Why don't you go and get something to eat and take a break, I can finish this up."

He was rewarded with a death glare and a very curt, "I don't need anything to eat Grissom, I just need to get some air."

Nick could tell by the look on Grissom's and Sara's faces that this was not going to go well and having told Grissom everything he needed to get him up to speed on the case he and Warwick were working he quickly and silently exited the room, closing the door behind him.


	2. Chapter 2

Nick had seen that look on Sara's face directed towards him before, causing him to almost pee his pants and knew Grissom was in for a ride. He ran into Warwick on his way out and warned him not to go into the evidence room.

"Grissom and Sara are going at it again, and she is giving him the look." One of Warrick's eyebrows raised and he gave Nick a look of understanding, having had that same look directed his way, and steered clear of the two in the room, who by this time looked like they were having a good row.

"Thanks man, what did Griss do this time?"

Nick leaned over and in a low tone said, "He told Sara she was working to hard." This time both of Warrick's eyebrows raised and he let out a low whistle. He took one more fleeting look in the window of the evidence room and witnessed what Nick was talking about.

He felt sorry for his poor supervisor. Grissom could hold his own, but when it came to that particular look from Sara, Warrick knew all too well what was in store for him. He shook his head and walked toward the break room.

Sara gave Gil an exasperated look, "I never thought in a million years that you would be the one to almost get caught getting so close to me in the lab, what were you thinking?"

Grissom looked at her accusingly "I couldn't help myself, the opportunity was there and I took it, it's not like anyone could tell anything, it just looked like I was leaning in to get a better look at what you were doing. It's not my fault you're so damn sexy I can't keep my hands off of you."

He said a little softer, "Besides I thought it was worth the risk."

Sara's eyes narrowed, he always made it so hard for her to get mad at him. She gave him a stern look, smiled and pointed a finger at him, "Well if you do that again I may have to pay you back for it, so watch out." Her tone softened a little, "Oh, and by the way, thanks, I really needed that," and she gave him a sheepish look.

Grissom smiled and raised his eyebrows, "Was that a threat or a promise? And you're welcome."

Sara smiled, "A promise, I think I will take you up on your offer and go home though" she stifled a small yawn and stretched, she raised one of her eyebrows and looked at him, "Are you coming?"

She gave him a provocative look and his jaw dropped with the implication of what was going to happen when he got home. It was his turn to go slightly pink and he could feel a certain part of his anatomy wake up, although he quickly recovered and whispered, "I'll leave in about ten minutes, I'll pick up some breakfast on my way home."

Sara moved around the table, and while putting the magnifying glass she held away she "accidentally" brushed her hand against his inner thigh while provocatively whispering in his ear, "Don't forget the whipped cream."

Grissom's jaw dropped once again (this was becoming quite a habit) and snapped it shut just as quickly. Once Sara was out of the room he had a hard time concentrating on getting the remaining evidence logged and bagged due to his hindering condition, though he still managed to get it locked up in record time.

He had just reached the end of the hall when he was stopped momentarily by Ecklie; his mind was on what he was going to be doing with Sara and a full container of whipped cream when he almost ran into the man. He looked up to apologize and saw who it was.

Ecklie gave him a quick once over, "just the man I was looking for…"

He tried to concentrate, but he really couldn't care less what the balding man in front of him had to say. Little words like Sheriff and meeting made their way through the fog in his mind and he inwardly moaned at the thought of having to postpone the morning's events to play supervisor.

Clearing his head with a shake and pinching the bridge of his nose he asked "Ecklie, just get to the point, when is this meeting?"

Ecklie huffed, clearly understanding the fact that Grissom was impatient and wasn't listening to him, spitting out "tonight at 5:00, and you can't avoid it this time."

Grissom took a deep breath and silently thanked the stars he was going to be able to go home as he let out a small "O.K." and speed walked out of the lab to avoid any further disruptions.

He was sorely tempted to use the Denali's lights to speed things up but managed to contain himself on his way to the store. He quickly made his way through, gathering everything he needed, and some things he didn't, before heading to the registers.

Still distracted by the thoughts running through his head about a certain brunette, he was rocking on the balls of his feet when he heard a familiar female voice behind him. He froze and closed his eyes praying Cath wouldn't notice it was him in front of her and that she wouldn't look in the basket he held in his hands, but knowing what a busy body the woman could be he knew it was a fruitless wish at best.

She leaned slightly to look into the basket and glanced at the mix of products. She looked up at him with a mixture of surprise and shock and smiled. He took inventory of his basket already knowing what was in there and grew a little pink in the face. It contained chocolate, strawberries, whipped cream, orange juice (he was there for breakfast after all), soy milk, maple syrup, and condoms.

It was the last item that made him blush the most, and he was very thankful he decided against getting the special ribbed kind, but he could only imagine what was going through the blonds mind at the moment. He surprised even himself when he managed to give her a very calm hello.

Both her eyebrows shot up in a questioning manner and she asked, "Another experiment?" a little tongue in cheek.

He cocked his head, raised an eyebrow himself and pursed his lips, "as a matter of fact, yes." He began to try and think of some kind of experiment when the cashier began to ring up his purchases while Gil silently urged the girl to move a little faster.

Cath just continued to give him a questioning look waiting for the answer she knew wasn't going to come. She could see him mentally and physically squirm under her perusal, yet he gave up nothing.

The cashier finally finished ringing up his purchases while he continued to receive looks from Cath, which was making him more uncomfortable by the minute. He was exceedingly happy when the woman finished his order and he quickly paid her and grabbed his bag.

As he was leaving he heard behind him "have fun with your experiment" and much quieter, "whomever that may be." from Catherine, his steps faltered for just a second when he glanced back at her and gave her a snide look.

He could tell she was secretly wondering who the experiment could be and was deciding she would have to do some snooping around the office in order to find out, maybe she would ask Sara.

The two of them had finally seemed to get over the tension and maybe she would go to the only other woman in the office to get her burning questions answered. He was going to have to give Sara a heads up when he got home.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Half an hour after he left the store Grissom finally entered the house to find it dark and very quite. A little worried he placed the grocery bag on the counter and went looking for Sara. He finally found her in the bathtub surrounded by bubbles.

He leaned up against the door frame and watched her, she was humming a tune with her eyes closed and didn't notice him. He always loved to hear her voice and the sight of her in the tub was enough to drive him crazy and make him hard.

She had put her long chestnut hair back into a bun to keep it from getting wet, though a couple of errant strands had escaped and were plastered down her neck, the ends of them disappearing below the bubbles surrounding her chest.

He mentally followed their trail, imagining the soft curve of her breasts and how her skin felt under his touch. He was concentrating so hard on the sight in front of him that he hadn't realized she'd opened her eyes and stopped humming until she purred "Care to join me?"

The hunger in her eyes mirrored the emotions swirling within his own.

"How could I resist" he said while removing his shoes.

She watched as he undressed, following his every move as he unbuttoned his shirt and placed it in the hamper. He was fairly buff for his age and had just the right smattering of hair that trailed down his chest and under the waist of his slacks, and although he was almost completely grey on top, his chest hair was still dark.

She began to feel warm all over and knew it had nothing to do with the temperature of the water. He quickened his undress when he noticed her moisten her lips in anticipation with the tip of her tongue, the effect she had on him clearly present as he removed his pants.

"Move forward." It was a soft demand and she complied, moving slightly forward in the tub to allow him enough room to get in behind her.

He slipped in, grabbed her by the waist and drew her in close to him and she could feel the heat of his need penetrating through her skin. He carefully removed the clip that was holding her hair and let it cascade down her back.

He ran his hands through it, smelling the lilac shampoo she always used and then gently lifted it to gain access to the sensitive skin on the back of her neck. As he kissed and nibbled at her neck he reached his unoccupied hand below the water and gently brushed it against her breasts, feeling the hard nubs of desire.

He began to softly massage them, eliciting a soft moan of pleasure from his touch on her skin and he answered with a guttural sound of his own as she shifted her hips against his arousal.

After he finished his exploration of her chest he moved his hand ever so slowly down the front of her body and felt the soft patch of hair nestled between her legs. She opened them to his touch, welcoming the sensations overtaking her body as he gently massaged her sensitive skin.

He massaged her gentle folds feeling the heat of her desire, he started softly at first increasing the pressure as she began to move with his rhythmic touch. He was driving himself crazy along with her, but wanted her to feel all he had to give.

He brought her to edge of the abyss, and then pulled her back by slowing down and only gently touching her. She began to protest slightly as he turned her around and lifted her onto his lap to straddle him.

She took him deep within her depths while looking into the even deeper blue of his eyes, dark with a need that mirrored her own. They moved as one, to a rhythm written long ago, touching and kissing while they both grew closer and closer to the edge.

She leaned her head back and arched her spine to allow him to sink deeper within her depths, speeding towards fulfillment, increasing the rhythm until they both felt they would crash. She was close, he could tell, she arched her back again to let all of him in and the spasm that erupted caught her by surprise.

She moaned his name and her walls convulsed around him, he gave one last thrust and then fell over the abyss to join her. Completely spent, the two of them laid in the bath until Sara suddenly shuddered with the temperature of the water. When had it grown so cold, and without either of them noticing?

Her shudder caused him to wake once more and he quickly grew inside of her. Before she could respond he began the rhythm again, only this time they took it a little slower, enjoying the pleasure they brought one another, making up for the time they had lost.

He took her hard nipples into his mouth and suckled while she rode him once more. She leaned her head back to give him access to those tender peaks. Once again their world rocked against each other, and once again they found release.

Sara was too weak to remove herself from him and the feel of him inside of her was too good. He was the first to move, sliding out of her just long enough to stand; he reached out a hand to Sara with a grin on his face.

That had to have been one of the most energetic baths the two of them had ever taken and after it was done they managed to enjoy an even more energetic shower involving a generous amount of soap and lilac shampoo.


	4. Chapter 4

They managed to wipe the case and their past away, and by the time they managed to get themselves dried and into some pajamas,

They managed to wipe the case and their past away, and by the time they managed to get themselves dried and into some pajamas, breakfast forgotten, the both of them just fell into bed and let sleep overtake their exhausted minds and bodies.

Several hours later Sara was woken up by the ringing of the phone next to her side of the bed. She groggily reached over, looked at the caller I.D. and groaned. Brass was calling.

She grumpily barked into the phone. "Sidle" She hadn't bothered to look and see if the phone was hers or not and a very confused brass said "Hey Sara, is Gil around anywhere?"

"Why would he be with me, I'm at home and haven't seen him since work?" she said with a little trepidation in her voice, finally waking up a little.

"Well, when I call him, I usually expect him to answer the phone, not you."

Sara pulled the phone away from her ear and took a closer look at it. Sure enough, it was Gils. She closed her eyes and put the phone back up to her ear.

"We must have mixed phones during the last shift. He must have mine?"

She tried to sound authentic but didn't think she pulled it off very well. Brass did not let on anything and said he would give Gil a call on her phone, then went on to explain that he was going to call her anyway due to the similarities between the case they were working on and a new DB that was found in a hotel off the strip.

"Sorry to bother you Sara, but we have another 419 for you and Gil."

"We are still in the middle of a case, is there anyone else who can take this one."

"Sorry, but this one seems to have the same MO as the one you are working on right now."

Sara sighed heavily when Brass disconnected and reached over to wake Grissom up. She grabbed her phone off of his nightstand and handed it to him.

"Your phone is ringing" He was about to object, because one, it wasn't ringing and two; it wasn't his phone, when a shrill ring came out of it. He gave her a confused look, saw it was brass and questioned her with a very Grissom like stare.

"I will explain when you get off the phone, just answer it like you would your own" she said with a reassuring smile.

"Grissom" he said sleepily into the phone, and while he was speaking to Brass she reached over to him under the covers and slid a hand under the waist of his pants. She found what she was looking for and was pleasantly surprised when she found out his mind wasn't on the phone call he was currently engaged with.

He closed his eyes and tried to concentrate on what was being said to him but he was enjoying it too much. She began to gently massage up and down and she could tell he was having a difficult time, and after hearing him ask Brass to repeat himself for the second time she pulled away and let him finish the conversation.

He gave her a hurt look when she got up and left the room, dawning spreading across his face as he was finally able to listen to brass tell him what was happening. A couple of minutes later he hung up, got dressed, and went to find Sara.

He found her in the kitchen making a fresh pot of coffee. She didn't hear him come into the room because of the running water but she could feel his presence.

"So our phones got mixed up last shift huh? I guess I will have to make sure that doesn't happen again, my girlfriend might call and hear you on the other end."

She smiled with the memory of last night when she felt his hands encircle her waist and his lips gently touch her neck.

"Serves her right for calling my man" she said teasingly as she leaned into his touch.

He turned his head, "What a shame" she heard behind her as he detached himself.

Feeling both the loss of heat and a curiosity towards what he was talking about she turned around to find Grissom with a container of warm runny whipped cream in his hand and a pained expression on his face.

"We never got the chance to have breakfast" and he placed the container in the trash.

Sara gave him a pout and promised to make it up to him later. He smirked, leaned over, grabbed her around the waist and gave her a passionate kiss while pinning her against the counter.

A minute later, her body desperately needing some air, she ended the kiss, "better stop or we are never going to get to the crime scene."

He groaned with disappointment as she wiggled out of his grasp and went to get dressed. The coffee was done when she came back out and he handed her a travel mug, his own already filled and ready to go.

He told Brass over the phone earlier that he was going to pick her up on his way to the crime scene instead of meeting her there, that way they wouldn't need to take separate cars to the scene. After transferring her kit to his car they were on their way, stopping only long enough to get some bagels at a near by shop.

They were just going to have to get something more substantial later in the day.

When they got to the bagel shop it was quite busy and took them a little longer than they had hoped and when Grissom called Brass to let him know they were running a little late, brass sounded a little skeptical when he replied to Grissom, but did not say anything else.

Grissom disconnected and turned to look at Sara "I think Brass might know something is going on between the two of us."

She looked over at him and nodded her head, "I think your right."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 3

**I con not believe I submitted this chapter the way I did the first time. It was six pages typed in a word document. I have made it a lot more manageable and easy to read. Hope you like it.**

Chapter 3

They met Brass at the front office of a very broken down Hotel and he began to fill the two of them in on what had happened while giving them a very sheepish look.

Apparently the woman found had been raped and strangled with other similarities present between this scene and the last. This crime was definitely committed by the same person.

Sara hoped this scene would give them some more useful clues as to who could be doing this to these unsuspecting women.

Brass led them to the room the body was found in and David, the assistant coroner, released the body and they began to process the scene while Brass went to question the manager of the hotel.

They went over it with a fine toothed comb and after several hours came up with almost as little evidence as they did with the first DB. This was disheartening to the both of them, particularly to Sara.

They were just about to pack things up to go back to the lab when Sara noticed something sticking out from under the sofa. She grabbed a pair of gloves from her case, put them on, and proceeded to reach for what was under the couch.

Grissom assumed Sara was right behind him and turned to say something to her when he realized she wasn't there, for an instant he thought the suspect might have come back when he yelled her name.

"Sara?"

"I'm over by the couch", she said as she stood up holding a mangled stocking in her hand, and plastered on her face was a wide gap toothed smile.

"I think I may have found something."

He couldn't help but smile back while reaching into his kit to grab an evidence bag asking, "How did we miss that."

"It was under the couch" the stocking was the same color as the couch and the only reason Sara noticed it was because she had knelt down to pick up something she had dropped out of her case and happened to gain a better view under it.

What a thought, to be so happy about something like that. Although what she held was evidence in a gruesome case, the two of them had to be happy about the evidence she found and this was very evident in the smile on her face.

This time they may just have found something that could break the case wide open. Brass, having heard Grissom's yell for Sara entered the house with a worried look on his face.

Upon seeing the faces of the two CSI's in front of him, he rolled his eyes because he knew there was nothing to worry about and that they may have just found something very important to the case.

"What did you find?" Sara held up the stocking and her grin grew even wider. Brass just smiled back "maybe this is just what we need."

They were finishing packing up to go back to the lab when Grissom heard Sara's stomach grumble. She gave him a slightly embarrassed look.

Grissom smiled "I think I agree with your stomach."

He leaned in closer and whispered "we didn't get breakfast this morning remember, and those bagels just were not enough."

She smiled back at him and they headed out to the car. Grissom was stopped momentarily by Brass and he motioned for Sara to go ahead. She grabbed the evidence bags from him and headed to the Denali.

"What's up?" Grissom asked and Brass gave him a concerned look.

"You are treating her right, right?"

Grissom tried to plaster a confused look on his face, "what are you talking about?"

Brass wasn't going for it, "I can tell the two of you are together. Hell, anyone with eyes can tell that, but I wasn't 100 sure until this morning. You know I love Sara like a daughter, and you are my best friend. I just want to make sure you two are alright. So… are you?"

All Grissom could do was smile at the man in front of him, he really was a good man.

"I think you already know the answer to that question."

Brass sighed, "yeah, I guess I do, tell Sara congratulations for me will you. I'm really happy for you." With this Brass patted Gil on the back and went to his car.

"Hey Brass" Gil called.

"Yeah"

"Don't tell anyone alright, Sara and I are still keeping it a secret, and so far you are the only one who knows." This surprised Brass, he assumed he was one of the last to find out.

"Yeah, I will" and he got in the car and drove away.


	6. Chapter 6

Gil headed towards the Denali and when he got there Sara was leaning against the side, "what was that all about" though she pr

Gil headed towards the Denali and when he got there Sara was leaning against the side, "what was that all about" though she pretty much guessed.

"We were right, he knows. He said congratulations by the way" Sara just shrugged and smiled. They got into the SUV and began the trek to the lab.

He looked over at her when they got to a light, "I think a proper lunch is in order, or is that dinner? Anyway we both need to get something substantial to eat or we are going to start making some mistakes, lets drop this evidence by the lab and you can pick the restaurant, sound good."

Sara gave him a mischievous smile, "That is one of the most brilliant ideas you have had, but I can really pick any restaurant?"

"Anywhere" he responded with a little trepidation towards the look on her face, something told him he was in for a surprise, and he was right.

About an hour later they were entering a small out of the way place not far from the lab. It was located on the first floor of a well kept two story home. There was just the smallest sign on the outside that said Deli, and unlike the rest of Las Vegas, this building looked like it belonged in a small town off the coast instead of in the middle of such a large city known for its night life.

"When did you find this place?"

The restaurant was a little mom and pop deli off of the strip that Grissom had never seen, but apparently it had been there for a while. Although it was an older home it was well kept.

The paint was a bright sky blue with dark blue and white trim. It had a porch that circled around both sides of the front that was stained instead of painted. There was a set of white whicker table and chairs on either side of the front door which was just a screen with a welcome mat in the shape of a butterfly set in front of it.

Sara didn't bother to knock and went right inside. The woman behind the counter greeted Sara by name with a motherly look in her eye. She was a slightly round woman who must have only just cleared five feet, if that, and her hair was all white set in a bun at the nape of her neck.

She looked like she lived a good life and her face brightened considerably when she looked at Sara.

"Sara, it's been a while. It's so nice to see you. Have you lost weight? Are you eating enough?"

The woman looked over at Grissom with a wide smile, "You must be Gil, I am so glad to finally meet you, I feel like I already know you. You are taking care of my girl right"

While she was saying this to Grissom she walked around the counter and gave him a hug, and before he could think to respond, she disengaged, turned and gave Sara a hug to match, carefully inspecting her in a motherly way at the same time.

Sara greeted the woman with a warm smile, returning the hug. "Hi Marge, how has business been, I'm sorry I haven't been around in a while" she looked over at Grissom, "I've been busy."

As the woman proceeded back behind the counter she commented with a sheepish look, "I bet you have."

After a few more exchanged pleasantries Sara began ordering lunch without even asking Grissom what he wanted. He looked up at where he assumed a menu would be and discovered there wasn't one.

Instead there was a myriad of collectibles; tins, jars set on shelves with fake plants set around them surrounded by old fashioned adverts portraying products from the fifties, this must have been the reason she didn't ask him what he wanted.

He was just going to have to trust her. While they waited for their meal and Sara was continuing her discussion with Marge, he took the chance to look around the shop. It was clean and had a homey feel to it.

The walls were painted a bright yellow with, to his surprise, small boxes containing preserved butterflies in them. The floor was polished hardwood with an antique ornate area rug.

In one of the corners of the room sat two overstuffed brown leather chairs and between them sat an antique table that matched beautifully to the feel of the room. On the table was a couple of old leather bound books and a reading lamp.

It was still light outside, but Gil could imagine sitting in one of the chairs enjoying a good book. They looked so comfortable. It felt more like a home than a deli, and Grissom was surprised at how comfortable he was with his current surroundings.

The counter the woman was using to make their sandwiches was made out of a deep wood polished to a shine, and there was a small glass fronted fridge that held a good selection of drinks on the adjacent wall and beside that was a book shelf made of the same deep wood as the counter.

Grissom went over to peruse the books and was pleasantly surprised with the selection. Many of the books on the shelves he had himself. Being an entomologist he would have the need for books like these, but a deli. Why would they have books like this?

Included in the selection were books on every kind of insect and butterfly a person could want. He was looking at the selection with awe and was just about to select one of them when he noticed Sara come over.

He leaned over and quietly asked "Why would a deli have these books?"

She gave him a knowing smile, "you'll find out, our sandwiches are ready. Pick out a drink and I will show you" and she headed back to the counter to continue her discussion with the elderly woman.

When he reached for their order Sara beat him to it. Grabbing the bag with one hand and his hand with the other she began to walk out of the store through a back entrance he hadn't noticed, she didn't even give him the chance to pay for it.


	7. Chapter 7

Intrigued Grissom just followed her, enjoying the view her backside offered and the feel of her hand in his

Intrigued Grissom just followed her, enjoying the view her backside offered and the feel of her hand in his.

They walked through a narrow hallway to what must have been the back door of the house, on the other side Grissom was pleasantly surprised to see the backyard had been changed into a butterfly garden with small two person tables set around a fountain.

Flowers of every color were placed around a central patio in pots and surrounding every pot were several species of butterfly segregated by the individual plants. Leading off of the porch and into the corners of the yard were small walkways leading to what he presumed were more tables.

He had to presume this due to the sheer quantity of plants that seemed to overtake the entire garden. Most of the plants seemed to be well established, which led him to believe the garden had been around for quite a while.

Though it was a hot day and the garden was kept very humid for the butterflies, they were remarkably cool due mainly to the personal misters set up by the tables and down the individual paths.

The atmosphere was very romantic and Grissom wished he had known about this place when he proposed to Sara. She walked to one of the corners of the patio and led the two of them down one of the paths.

As they passed some of the plants, he noticed several insects that had nothing to do with butterflies and at one point started to lean down to take a closer inspection. Sara grabbed his arm and pulled him the rest of the way, "We will come back another day so you can study to your hearts content, for now lets eat. Its 4 o'clock and you have a meeting at 5."

They sat down at a somewhat secluded antique rote iron table that had cushions on the seats.

He looked around them again, "This place is remarkable, I had no idea it was here," looking around at the various species of butterfly with awe, he was surprised to see half the species that were present, many of them were not native to the region.

She gave him a sheepish smile when he asked again, "when did you find this place."

She started to unpack their lunch while trying to find the words to explain to him the events leading up to the discovery of this place. He just looked at her waiting patiently, knowing she was gathering her thoughts.

She handed him his sandwich as she asked, "Remember when I first came here?"

He unwrapped his sandwich and inspected it, "how could I forget?" he said shrugging and biting into a very good roast beef sandwich; he looked at the sandwich and was surprised by both the quality of the sandwich and the question.

Remembering back to the circumstances of her moving here, a rookie CSI had been left at a scene without a police officer on site. The suspect returned to the scene and had shot the young woman.

Holly Gribbs was her name, and Warrick, one of his best CSI's was the one who had left the young woman at the crime scene, although there was a policeman at the scene when they got there, he left shortly after she was dropped off.

It wasn't long after the policeman left the suspect returned. In order to avoid an internal investigation by Ecklie he needed someone who was not close to Warrick to do the investigation and Sara was the perfect choice.

He had met her during a seminar several years earlier, she had impressed him so much at the time that they had kept in touch and he knew he could count on her to be professional and detached.

He just wished he could have realized she was perfect for more than that at the time. So many years had been wasted by him trying to be logical instead of just using his heart.

With a sad look on his face he asked, "Why do you ask?"

She looked at him for a couple of moments, seeing the looks that crossed his face and darkened his eyes to a deep blue, she knew he was regretting the past.

"When I first arrived here, I had no friends except you, and the feelings of the rest of the crew towards me were a little hostile to put it mildly. Cath was afraid I would take the Holly Gribbs case away from her and Warrick was the one I was investigating, so there was no love lost there."

"Nick and Greg were still on the fence, but their loyalties lied with Cath and Warwick. Simply put, I felt alone."

Grissom chewed this over with his food, thinking back to when she first arrived. Other than asking her how the case was going he didn't remember asking her about how other things were, like how the move was coming along and how she was faring in the new city.

He was such an ass back then, he really did have his head so far up the microscope he couldn't see what was right in front of him, Sara. He had trouble swallowing that truth along with the bite of sandwich and took a drink trying to think of what to say.

He finally decided an apology was the only thing that would work. He looked directly at her, "I'm sorry I put you in that position, I should have at least asked how you were doing or introduced you to the crew."

She looked him in the eye as he trailed off, "That was then and this is now. I forgave you a long time ago. Besides it led me to this place and eventually back to you."

She waved her hand to indicate where they were, and eventually landed it on his.

"I decided to look up some local butterfly preserves and found a place called the butterfly palace, this place. I had no idea it was a deli, and after I came here the first time I realized they used the deli to help pay for the costs of the preserve" she began to explain.

"They have the widest range of butterfly species in the state and the best sandwiches, meatless and otherwise, I have found. They are also pretty close to work so I could walk here on my lunch hours when I needed to get away from the lab. It was nice to find a mom and pop place that stayed open 24 hours and the garden is beautifully lit at night."

Grissom took her hand in his and decided this was going to turn into one of his favorite places to eat as well. He knew Sara had a love for butterflies and even sent her a cocoon while on sabbatical the last time, but he did not know she associated them that much to comfort.

He was jarred from his thoughts when he heard her voice, and it was like she had read his thoughts.

"When you sent that butterfly cocoon to me when you went on sabbatical, it made me realize just how much you missed me, and it made me feel like you weren't so far away. I really loved it. This is the place I went when I was curious as to what kind of butterfly it was, they have an extensive reference library upstairs, besides the small selection down in the deli. I have to admit I was a little surprised to find it wasn't a butterfly at all, but something they couldn't identify."

She lifted one of her eyebrows at him at this point, removing her hand from his and placing it on the ring hanging off her neck by a gold chain. Grissom looked down at the ring she now tenderly stroked; it was platinum with four topaz stones surrounding a diamond in the shape of a butterfly.

It took him weeks of looking at engagement rings to finally decide she needed something as unique and beautiful as she was. He spoke to several jewelers before he found one who could create what he wanted, but in the end it was worth it.

He looked up when he heard her continue. "When you got back and said I would be pleasantly surprised about what came out of it, I had no idea exactly what I was in store for."

She remembered getting more and more despondent as time went by and the cocoon never opened. That was until Grissom called her into his office one day and showed her the opened cocoon and what was inside of it.

It turned out the conditions under which she had placed the cocoon had worked too well in keeping it preserved and Grissom ended up having to help it along. Reading her thoughts he quietly said, "I had intended you to be there when it opened, but when I helped it along, it went a bit faster than I had wanted it to. I wanted you to be there."

He said all of this with an apologetic look, "but I thought you might not care either way."

"You were right; I didn't care about the circumstances. All I cared about was the fact that you were asking me the one question I thought I might never hear from you. The only thing that would make me happier is to fulfill it."

She knew he wanted the same thing but with work and the fact none of their friends besides Brass knew about the relationship as of yet, and the issue of Ecklie needing to be solved it had been put on hold for the meantime.

Her thoughts were interrupted by Grissom, "We had better get back to the lab, I have that damn meeting with Ecklie in about a half an hour and I don't want him to get suspicious of us."

_He really can read my mind_ she thought to herself.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 4

Several hours later when Gil was done with one of the more boring tasks of being a supervisor, namely the meeting he so wanted to avoid but couldn't, he and Sara were both sitting in front of a monitor running fingerprints against AFIS and Greg was working on getting some DNA the stockings.

Gil sighed, took his glasses off and pinched his nose just below his sinuses. Sara looked over at him and saw the exhaustion play on his face.

"I've got nothing so far, how are you doing?"

He sighed again "Nothing."

Sara got up, moved behind him and placed her hands on his shoulders. He tensed for a second under her touch and then began to relax when she started to gently rub the knot out of his shoulders.

"Sara, although that does feel good, I think you should stop."

Instead she leaned her head down and whispered into his ear "why? Are you afraid I might actually get you to relax?"

Just feeling her breath on his neck made him hard with desire for her and he was worried he would have to take her right there. He released a small sigh and reigned in his libido.

"Actually" he said lightly, "I am afraid of just the opposite".

At this her hands stilled and her breathing stopped. His hand found hers and she released the breath she had been holding. Her heartbeat quickened as he held her hand on his shoulder and gently rubbed his thumb across her palm.

She caught something out of the corner of her eye and noticed that Catherine was heading their way; she quickly removed her hands from him and sat back in front of her computer, the moment lost.

Catherine came into the lab and started to brief Gil on the homicide she just came from. Sara pretended to stare at the computer monitor while she was reaching under the table to touch Gil's leg.

His speech hitched for just a second when she first touched him. Luckily Catherine was on the other side of the table and could not see what was happening under it, if she could it would have proven to be a bit difficult to explain why she had her hand on Gil's thigh.

She slowly moved her hand closer to him and at this point Gil was having some difficulty speaking and Catherine was giving him an odd look. Sara was still just staring at her monitor with no indication of what she was doing under the desk.

"Gil, are you ok?" Sara looked over at him when she heard Cath and saw the almost anguished look on his face, but she continued with her ministrations. By this time she had found her target and was stroking him through the thin fabric of his pants, the evidence of his arousal very evident to the touch.

"Yes, I just…have a headache" and he emphasized this by taking off his glasses, closing his eyes, and pinching the bridge of his nose while letting out a low growl.

Cath, not knowing the truth of his real problem stopped talking and suggested he go and lay down. Sara stopped what she was doing, turned from her monitor and motioned to leave.

This caught Grissom by surprise and he quickly asked "where are you going, we haven't finished processing these fingerprints."

What he really wanted to say was that she had not finished processing him yet. She gave him a devilish look and said, "I'll be right back, I just need some coffee. Do you want some?"

"Please, and a glass of water too, I need to take my pills." he said with a hint of irritation, _and_ _a cold shower wouldn't be a bad idea either_ he thought to himself as Cath continued the conversation.

He just looked at her and nodded once in a while to indicate he was listening. Cath finally finished filling him in about five minutes later and thankfully he had recovered from a very embarrassing predicament.

Sara entered into the break room and discovered the coffee pot to be empty. She found Greg's secret stash and began a fresh one. _Did he really have a headache? I wouldn't be that surprised, we have both been working double time on this case. What was I thinking when I did that_ she thought to herself?

She had broken the number one rule when it came to them working together in the lab, no touching, and she had practically thrown him on the counter and had her way with him in front of Catherine.

She supposed her composure was starting to crack due to the amount of hours the two of them were putting in; she had to get out of there before she did something she was going to regret.


	9. Chapter 9

That was the real reason for her leaving the evidence room

**Because you guys have been so nice with the reviews I decided to post the nest four chapters. I will post again tomorrow. I am up to 36 chapters with 18 still left to convert from my original. Thanks for the great reviews.**

That was the real reason for her leaving the evidence room. She knew his composure was breaking as well and so decided to escape before he completely broke down, though she had to admit she was enjoying herself.

Serves him right for what he did to her yesterday. She was immersed in thought when she felt a hand touch her waist. Immediately a fire began in her middle, creating a slow burn that threatened to consume her.

He reached around her to grab a mug and whispered into her ear "meet me in my office when you are done making your coffee", the feel of his breath on her neck made her blood boil and she could not help herself when she reached her hand down and gently brushed it up against him, the evidence of his arousal very evident to the touch.

His breath hitched and he stilled for a second before stepping away trying to regain a bit of his composure. He poured himself a cup of coffee and left the room without saying a word. She just smiled to herself as she poured her own coffee and made her way to his office.

When she got there the blinds were all drawn and the door was closed. She knocked on the door and opened it, she couldn't see him so she ventured a bit further into the room; he was waiting for her on the other side of the door and grabbed her when she entered his office stifling her yell with his lips.

He pushed the door closed and locked it at the same time. He then grabbed her by the waist and began to nuzzle her neck. He slowly and achingly kissed a path from her neck to her lips before claiming them with urgency.

She was more than responsive to his actions, feeling the fire lick at her insides, which only made him more zealous. He pulled her closer to him while navigating the both of them towards the couch in his office.

"What if someone comes looking for one of us?" she said breathlessly.

Grissom gave her a mischievous smile. "I told Catherine that I had a migraine from all the computer work, remember, and that I was going to be in my office lying down."

Sara smiled through yet another passion filled kiss while Gil pulled her onto the couch. He began to unbutton her shirt while she unzipped his pants. They quickly disposed of their clothing, both feeling an urgency to merge, their lips hardly separating.

Sara stood up only long enough to rid herself of her pants, and once the bothersome article of clothing was removed she moved over to Grissom and settled herself on top of him.

She enveloped herself around him and moved her hips to allow him deeper access. He moaned in response and grabbed her hips, guiding her. He nuzzled her neck as they began to move, kissing a trail of hot kisses from her neck down to one of her breasts, taking the hard peak into his mouth, he sucked and nibbled on it before moving to the other.

Sara had to fight not to scream with the pleasure of his touch.

The pace of their lovemaking increased and just when she thought she would burst from pleasure she began to convulse around him. He moved faster, thrusting deeper with every entry.

She could feel him getting closer and closer to the edge, thrusting into her with all his might. She stepped over the edge one more time and whispered his name in his ear. That was all he needed to push him over the edge and into the abyss.

One last deep thrust and she could feel him expel inside her, she pulled him deeper inside and shivered with pure joy. No one was any the wiser to what was going on behind the closed door of Grissom's office.

They were all warned that the boss was suffering from yet another of his migraines. He seemed to be suffering from them more frequently the past few months and the general feel around the office was one of concern.

Catherine was particularly worried about her friend and decided she would have to talk to Grissom about the hours he was putting in at the office. No one seemed to notice that Sara was always gone at the same time Grissom was having these headaches.

These were supposed to be some of the brightest investigators in the country, yet not one of them seemed to be clued into the relationship between the two most reclusive CSI's in the office.

Grissom was mulling this over in his office while playing with Sara's hair, one of his favorite past times. It could only be a matter of time before someone found out their not so little secret.

Cath already knew there was someone in his life because of the grocery trip yesterday, but he knew she had no clue it could be Sara.

He looked down at her now and whispered "I love you."


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Sara never tired of hearing those words coming out of his mouth, no matter how softly they have been spoken. She was just thankful that he was finally able to say them after so many years of praying for him to speak them to her.

"I love you too," she said leaning in for a kiss before she got up and began to retrieve her clothes, putting on the various pieces as she came to them, Grissom doing the same.

"One of these days Cath is going to figure out you aren't having one of your headaches, you know that right."

"I know, I just can't seem to be able to resist you some times. Let's try to behave at work from now on, deal?" He asked while pulling her in for a lingering kiss.

"Deal, but only if you stop doing that at work," she said a little breathlessly.

He looked at her forlornly, "I'll do my best, but no promises."

He unlocked and cracked open the door to his office and looked out. The coast was clear so he opened it all the way and let Sara out with one last squeeze of her backside. She jumped a little and gave him a warning look.

He returned to his desk with the intention of spending the rest of the day trying to concentrate on the paperwork threatening to bury his desk while Sara went back to working on processing the fingerprints for their case.

She was just entering the evidence room when Greg ran up to her with the DNA results from the stockings she found at the scene of the last rape.

"Sara, I have been looking for you, there were two distinct donor's to the DNA on the stocking. One was the victims and I ran the other through AFIS and it came back unknown, sorry. I did find some unknown substance on them though and I sent them to trace, I told Hodges to page Grissom with the results."

Greg hated letting Sara down, especially when he knew a case was bothering her so much. He knew he was never going to be able to have a chance with the tall brunette, he also noticed she was happier these last few months and determined it must be a guy.

He would give his right leg to know who the guy is. In his not so subtle way of getting information he raised his eyebrows at her and asked once again, "So, are you going to tell me who this mystery guy is you have been seeing or are you going to keep him a secret forever." She raised one eyebrow up at him,

"Now Greg, you know I don't want to scare the guy. Someday maybe, though."

She looked at the DNA results in front of her and her face showed the disappointment that she felt, her shoulders sagged and she let out a sigh.

"It's ok, thanks for getting these results so fast for me, I hope this guy doesn't start to escalate further before we can find him, did you give the results to Grissom?"

"I was just about to when I ran into you."

"I'll go and let him know, thanks again." She started walking towards Grissom's office and noticed Hodges heading towards the office as well.

She stepped in front of him, "do you have the results from the stocking in my case?"

Hodges stuck his nose in the air "I was told to give Grissom the results as soon as they were done, not you."

Sara was really starting to lose her patience with the brown nosing, graying lab tech and tried her best to keep her anger in check.

"Hodges, you were told to page him with the results so will you please give me the results of the test, and I will give them to Grissom" her voice stayed remarkably calm when she said this, which surprised her.

She really disliked this man. She knew he was about to say something cross when he suddenly looked behind her and smiled, "Dr. Grissom, I was just bringing you some results…"

This was all he managed to get out before Grissom cut him off, "good, give them to Sara please" he turned to her with a glint in his eye, "Sara, meet me in my office please."

She took the lab results from a very upset Hodges and headed to Grissom's office. A couple of moments later she heard the soft click of his office door and his foot steps coming up behind her.

"I really don't like Hodges", she said before he could get a word out. He stepped behind his desk and looked at her. His next words surprised her, "neither do I, but we have to try to keep things civil around here, we are a team."

"Can't you tell him I can have whatever results I want from a case I am working on, whether your working lead or not" she said with a slight pout on her face.

He gave her an understanding look, "I don't want to look like I'm favoring you."

"I know, but it still bothers me when he does that."

She sighed and handed over the results with a dejected look. He looked over the results and gave her a large grin.

"what?" she asked with a confused look on her face.

"Did you even look at this?" he asked when she continued to look at him with a confused expression. He realized she still didn't understand what he was smiling about.

"No, I was still a little aggravated about Hodges, what does it say?"

He handed her the slip of paper with the trace results on it. Diamond dust, and not just any diamond dust, this stuff had characteristics of blood diamonds. She got it. This was huge.

She looked up at Grissom with hope in her eyes, and saw his head nod. The two of them, in unison, got up and rushed through the door of his office, Sara heading towards the locker room to grab her kit and Grissom heading out to his Denali. They were going back to the crime scene.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Back at the scene the two of them knew just what they were looking for and headed straight for the sofa where Sara had found the stocking. Grissom lifted one end while Sara lifted the other.

Together they moved the couch clear of the area and marked it to be transported to the lab for a more detailed analysis. They then began to inspect the floor on their hands and knees, not leaving an inch undone. They were just about to give up when she saw it.

It was minute in size, but it was there, a tiny speck of a diamond lying in the carpet. She picked it up with some tweezers while Gil retrieved a bag from her kit and she placed it in.

She looked up at him and smiled, he placed a hand on her cheek "I love it when you smile."

He was just leaning in to give her a kiss when there was a knock on the door to the hotel room. Grissom got up and went to the door to allow the men who were picking up the couch in while Sara continued to examine the floor to make sure she didn't miss a thing.

When she felt she had thoroughly searched the area, she stood and packed up her kit while Gil gave final instructions to the men and led them out. She was just picking up her kit to go when she felt his strong hands grab her by the waist and turn her around.

He began a slow assault of her lips right there and then, when he finally broke away "I was about to do that when we were so rudely interrupted. How about we go and get some lunch before we head back to the lab?"

She was still recovering from the kiss when she answered a little breathlessly "ok."

They made a quick trip to the lab, which turned out to take two more hours, as both of them had a hard time resisting the urge to process the couch and get the new information to Brass.

They were truly exhausted when they finally left the lab.

They had passed several diners by the time Sara asked, "Where are we going?"

She was under the impression they were going to grab some breakfast, beings it was seven in the morning.

Grissom just answered matter of fact, "breakfast."

No hints as to where they may be going. It was when they rounded the next corner and entered a residential area that she found out what their destination was, he was taking them home. She smiled at him and placed a hand on his thigh, "Why are we going home?"

"It has been how many hours since either of us has had a shower or a decent meal not to mention sleep?"

Seeing the look on her face he amended, "besides lunch yesterday."

"I thought we could use a couple of hours away from the lab, take a shower, a nap, and maybe have a homemade meal. I let the lab know that I sent you home and we would be out of the office and to call me if they needed anything."

She looked at him with a new appreciation, "you really do know what I need."

He looked over at her tired form, "I really do try, when we get home why don't you jump into the shower and I will make us some breakfast. Then we can both get some much needed sleep."

She leaned over and softly said in his ear, "I have a better idea, why don't we take a shower together and then we can both make lunch and then go to bed and see what happens."

He had to agree that sounded like a great plan, but he was really getting tired, and the couple of small naps he managed to grab at the office weren't carrying him through, not to mention the small bouts of outstanding exercise.

"That sounds like a good plan, but let's try to get at least a little sleep."

She had to agree with him, the few naps she was able to grab on the sofa in the break room weren't getting her anywhere and she had to admit she too was tired. They were just getting out of the car when Grissom's phone went off. Sara gave an exasperated sigh while he answered it.

"Grissom," when his face relaxed and he began to head into the house grabbing her hand on the way Sara decided it must not be anything serious and relaxed a little.

"That sounds fine Brass, we will meet you there tomorrow, 8:00 sound good? Fine, see you then."

He hung up the phone and looked at Sara, "Brass wants to meet us for breakfast tomorrow to discuss where we are on the case and to tell us some details about the information he got from the Commission on Mineral Resources about some conflict diamonds they suspect recently came into the area."

"We may be able to get the name of who they sold to, and from that we may be able to gain a suspect list."

This was good news and Sara's step lightened a little as they entered the house, heading towards the bathroom to take a shower. The two of them decided they would take separate showers after all but made lunch together.

After the dishes were done they crashed into bed.

Grissom was woken up in the middle of the afternoon by the sound of retching in the bathroom. He got up to see if Sara was alright.

He knocked softly on the bathroom door and asked, "Hon, are you ok. Is there anything I can do to help?"

He heard the water from the sink as she brushed her teeth and then she opened the door.

"I'm ok, I think I might be coming down with something though."

Her eyes grew wide and she ran back into the bathroom to rid herself of the rest of her breakfast. Grissom was beginning to worry about her when she emerged from the bathroom for the second time.

"Boss, I think I am going to call in for tonight. Is that going to be ok." Grissom gave her a concerned look.

"I would worry more if you decided to come to work."

Gil was worried about Sara all that night. He would have called her but he thought she needed the rest. Around 2 Sara called to see how their case was going and to hear his voice.

It was then he decided to take the rest of the night off. Assignments had been handed out and he let Cath know if she needed anything he would be at home and that Sara had called in sick.

She gave him a shocked look, "Sara called in sick?! I didn't think she was capable of getting sick."

Grissom just shrugged and ignored the comment. He had other things on his mind. He closed and locked up his office and then headed home. On his way he stopped at the drug store to pick up some cold medicine, soda, and other things he thought Sara might need.

Now that he thought about it he couldn't remember her ever getting sick either. The two years they have been a couple she hadn't even had a cold. She seemed to have a whopper now.


	12. Chapter 12

Guess the stress from the last week finally wore her down he thought to himself

_Guess the stress from the last week finally wore her down_ he thought to himself. She was sound asleep when he got home and as quietly as he could he removed his clothes and climbed into bed with her.

He snuggled up close and felt to see is she felt warm. She woke up and asked what time it was.

"2:30, I took the rest of the night off, do you need some medicine? I stopped by the drugstore and got some."

He motioned to get up but she stopped him before he got too far.

"I'm feeling a lot better, I think it may have been the stress from the last few days."

She must really have been feeling better because at that moment she was trailing kisses across his chest and trying to slide his boxers off at the same time. His concern was quickly replaced by desire when he felt her encircle him and begin to massage gently.

He let out a low growl and covered her lips with his own.

"Are you sure your feeling up to this? If you go much further I will not be able to stop myself."

She smiled up at him and gave him a very passionate kiss, "I'm sure," and to punctuate this she removed her own night clothes and pressed herself so close to him she could feel the evidence of his arousal against her stomach.

He was beginning to lose control but decided he needed to take things slowly. He began a slow trail of kisses from her mouth to her neck, taking his time to taste and savor each part. She leaned into his touch as he reached her breasts.

He suckled on first one soft peak and then the other until they were hard with desire. Sara gasped as he reached down and stroked her moist inner folds. His assault on her breasts continuing as he gently brought her to the edge and then right over it.

As the convulsions from her climax began to overcome her he claimed her mouth, but he wasn't done yet. He laid on his back and moved her gently on top of him. She looked into his deep blue eyes and as he entered her they darkened with what could only be a mixture of love and desire.

She moved her hips to envelope him completely and he groaned with pleasure. They began to move in a timeless motion, a rhythm written to music older than time. Their bodies moved together like poetry and their hearts became as one.

They both reached the abyss and as she began to climax once more he felt her tighten around him, he thrust deeply into her and fell over the chasm himself. She collapsed upon him, kissing his chest, his neck, and then finally claiming his lips as her hand played with the graying curls at the nape of his neck.

She reveled in the softness of them. He closed his eyes and enjoyed the sensation of her playing with his hair. He loved it when she did that and he could not help but to fall asleep and she knew that.

It was only a couple of minutes later she heard his breaths become even indicating he was asleep, she nestled herself in the crook of his arm and fell asleep herself.

The two of them were woken up several hours later by Grissom's cell phone ringing.

With his eyes still closed he reached over and grabbed his phone, "Grissom."

He cringed when he heard the voice on the other end of the line and looked over at the clock. It was reading 8:30.

"Where are the two of you, I have been waiting for you for a half an hour now."

Sara had woken up with the phone and was looking at him curiously.

"Hold on for a minute brass." Grissom covered his phone and looked over at Sara.

"Shall we invite him over for breakfast? He is a little upset with the two of us."

"ok."

Grissom got back on the phone with Brass and invited him over to his house for breakfast, giving him the address due to the fact that they had moved and had yet to tell anyone they were living together.

"This had better be good," Brass said before hanging up. Sara jumped into the shower while Grissom put on a robe, went into the kitchen and started making breakfast. He was in the middle of chopping up some vegetables for the omelets when Sara came out of the bathroom.

"Go take a shower and I will finish cutting the vegi's, when Brass gets here I will let him in."

He gave her a quick peck on the cheek and headed towards the bathroom to freshen up. About ten minutes later Brass knocked on the door and when Sara opened it with a head of wet hair and wearing sweats to let him in he didn't look all that surprised.

It was when Gil came out of the bathroom in just a towel that he gave them both a knowing look.

"I guess the jig is up." Said Sara with a gap toothed smile as Gil ran into the bedroom to get dressed.

"I knew you guys were together, but you are living together as well?" He had just finished asking this when Gil came out of the bedroom fully dressed.

"Yep, by the way we are having omelets for breakfast."

This brought a smile to Brass's face and he sat down at the breakfast counter practically licking his lips in anticipation. Gils omelets were famous among all the CSI's, and Sara was thrilled to be able to enjoy them whenever she wanted.

She poured the juice while Gil was making breakfast. She was pouring juice into Brass's glass when he noticed the ring on Sara's finger, he grabbed her hand and inspected it.

"Is this what I think it is?"

Sara just looked up at Gil and said "yes."

Brass had an astonished look on his face, "just how long has this been going on?"

It was Grissom's turn to answer, "We have been together for two years and engaged for six months."

Brass's jaw dropped, "I had no idea, you two are good."

They didn't start talking about the case until well after breakfast had been eaten. Instead they talked about the particulars of the relationship between the two most reclusive CSI's in the lab.

"We have been living together for about a year and a half. We moved into this house about a year ago." Gil looked over at Sara for confirmation and she nodded back.

She added, "We are happy that you know about us, but would you mind keeping it a secret? We aren't ready to let the others know just yet."

Brass gave Sara an understanding look and informed her he already agreed to keep it a secret. The discussion turned to business and after about an hour the two of them agreed to meet him that night before work.

The two of them decided to get some much needed errands done while they had the time to do so. They stopped and had some lunch at one of their favorite restaurants and then headed home with a car full of groceries, dry cleaning, and various other items necessary for life in the Grissom Sidle house.

They had just finished getting all of the groceries in the house and were starting to put them away when Sara suddenly bolted for the bathroom. Grissom had a nagging feeling this sickness overcoming Sara had nothing to do with the flu, he started down the hallway after her and found her in the bathroom brushing her teeth.

She looked up at him with a worried look, "I don't think this is the flu, what are we going to do?"

He walked up to her and gave her a reassuring hug, "let's take this one step at a time, when was the last time you remember having your minstrel cycle?"

"My cycle has always been a little spotty, you know that. I really don't know."

She was starting to breakdown so he guided her to the living room and sat her down on the couch. He held her for a few minutes until she was calm.

"Let's get this stuff put away and then the two of us will go to the drugstore together. Ok."

She nodded her head and got up to help him with the groceries. There was very little conversation in the car on the way over to the store and even less on the car ride back to the house.

When they got home Sara went into the bathroom while Gil waited outside in the hall for her. He was beginning to pace when she opened the door.

"It said it will take five minutes to get the results." She looked a bit distressed as she said this and he took her in his arms and gave her a reassuring hug.

"We will deal with the results when we get them. Whatever happens I want you to know that I love you very much and nothing can change that." A soft sob escaped her and she nodded her head against his chest.

"I love you too."


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 7

Five minutes later two sets of scientific eyes were staring down at a little plastic stick with a bright pink plus sign on it. The two of them just sat there for a minute staring at the stick, not quite knowing what to do next.

Sara was the first to talk, "I guess I need to make an appt. to see my gynecologist."

This statement seemed to wake him up. He looked over at her nodding and said "I guess so, can I go with you?" He asked with a hopeful look on his face.

"Of course you can, we are in this together right. I don't think I could handle this by myself anyway." She had a worried look on her face and he gave her a reassuring smile.

"Of course we are."

Sara called her doctor and he was able to get her in right away due to a cancellation. On their way to the doctor Grissom didn't let go of her hand the entire time unless absolutely necessary to drive.

When they arrived at the doctor's office he stayed beside her the entire time. He was a little uncomfortable in the office. There were pregnant women and children everywhere; emphasizing the reason they were there.

He was starting to get a little panicked when Sara squeezed his leg in a reassuring gesture. She was called back and he accompanied her to the examining room.

His discomfort subsided a little, but he could tell that Sara was becoming nervous, so he grabbed her hand and held on until a nurse came in and let her know she had to draw some blood for a test.

She still looked a little scared and Gil reassured her that everything was going to be fine, even though the thoughts running through his head were scaring the hell out of him.

How could this have happened, they used protection every time. They even doubled up some times, she was on the pill and they used condoms. I'm 50 for crying out loud, will I be able to handle a baby at my age.

Sara is still young but I'm no spring chicken. Grissom was letting his mind loose when he heard the doctor come in. He quickly reeled them in while the doctor settled on the small chair across from them and smiled.

"Congratulations, it seems you two are going to be parents." He saw the look on the two people in front of him, "I gather this was an unplanned pregnancy?"

Sara was the first to speak, "yes, we have been using protection, I'm on the pill and most of the time we used condoms, how could this have happened?" Her voice cracked a little at the end of the question.

"No form of protection is 100, I think you were just destined to have this. I'm going to give you a prescription for some pre-natal vitamins and some pamphlets to help you make the decision that lies in front of you. I do need to do an exam to help me determine how far along you are though, since you were unable to determine the date of your last menstrual cycle."

He handed Sara a thin cotton nightgown and asked her to change into it and he would be back in a couple of minutes. Gil helped Sara change, "do you want me to leave the room while he does the exam?"

Sara thought about it for a minute "I would rather have you here for all of it, can you handle it?"

"I think I can manage."

After the exam was complete the doctor estimated she was about two months along. He handed Sara a slip of paper along with some brochures and left the room, wishing them luck as he exited. Grissom looked over at Sara and saw a lone tear run down her face.

"Don't cry honey, everything will be just fine. You'll see. Let's just take this one day at a time for now."

He helped her dress and then gave her a reassuring hug. She sniffed a little but seemed to have calmed down. Grissom was just going to have to tamp down his own reservations for now. He had to take care of Sara.

As they were leaving she looked down at the items in her hand, Grissom glanced at them as well.

He saw the subject matter and looked her in the eye, "Is this something you want to consider?"

She shook her head feebly, "No"

He removed them from her hand and dumped them in the nearest trash receptacle.

"Neither do I, I may not be young anymore, but I know when a good thing comes my way."

All Sara could do was look into his eyes and she saw the truth in his words. She nodded her head and they left the building holding hands. They were going to do this together.


	14. Chapter 14

On their way home they stopped at the drug store, dropped off the script and then walked around the store, eventually finding

On their way home they stopped at the drug store, dropped off the script and then walked around the store, eventually finding themselves going down the baby isle. Glancing at all the things they would have to get.

"Is all of this really necessary?" Sara asked almost awe struck with the amount of items just down this one isle.

"I'm guessing we are going to need a lot more than this. We are going to have to make some big decisions in the near future you know."

Sara nodded while gently fingering one of the tiniest pairs of socks she had ever seen and placing her other hand on her stomach. Grissom suddenly saw her as more than just his fiancé; he envisioned her holding a small child, his child.

The image swelled his heart. He heard the name Sidle announced over the PA and decided he was going to have to try and change that as well. They should be calling Grissom.

His mind started planning as he escorted Sara to the counter to claim the prescription. They ended up leaving the store with more than just a script. Gil took another look in the bag he held in his hand.

They were on their way out when Sara spotted a couple of things she just couldn't leave the store without. Lying in the bag he carried was a very large chocolate bar, a bag of BBQ chips, and some gummy bears.

He looked over at Sara and smiled, she was thoroughly enjoying an ice cream cone. She looked over and saw the smile on his face, "what?"

"Nothing, I was just thinking how beautiful you look." She gave him a gap toothed smile and went back to her ice cream. Yep, living with a pregnant Sara was going to be interesting.

The two of them managed to get a few hours of sleep before they had to go to work that night and Sara seemed to be in higher spirits as they got ready. He didn't want to ruin her mood so he decided to leave the subject of their relationship on the back burner.

He kissed her and told her to be careful going to work. He was leaving an hour early, which was the norm for them. She would follow about a half an hour later, this way they would be arriving at work separately but Sara would still be early.

They did not need any more attention than normal right now. Half way through shift Brass found the couple in the evidence room finishing up with the fingerprints from their case.

He handed them three fingerprint cards and told them he managed to narrow the suspect list to these three employees from one of the local jewelry stores on the strip. Brass and Sara exchanged eager glances as Gil compared the prints.

He eliminated the first one and then the next, but when he got to the third he looked up at the two in front of him and smiled.

"We got him, all we have to do is get a warrant for his DNA, compare it with what we found on the stocking and it will be case closed."

As it turned out they had found the right guy and by the end of business that day they had him in lockup facing two charges of rape and murder. Sara couldn't be happier.

She stopped by Grissom's office on her way out, "breakfast?"

He looked up at her, "my treat."

Grissom didn't know what he was getting into when he suggested he pay for breakfast. He sat opposite Sara with his mouth slightly agape. She was just starting to finish off her second plate of pancakes, before those she enjoyed some tofu bacon, toast, 2 eggs and a bowl of fruit.

She looked up from her plate and saw the look on his face, "What?" He managed to close his mouth before he replied.

"Nothing" He thought it best not to comment on the sheer amount of food he was witnessing her put into her mouth.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 8

Chapter 8

The following couple of weeks went by pretty smoothly. The morning sickness seemed to hit her the same time every day and she started to avoid eating any kind of lunch, opting instead to eat some soda crackers when she got up in the afternoons and a light dinner about midway through shift.

Most mornings she managed to eat a breakfast that even he couldn't fathom eating, but Grissom still worried she might not be getting enough to eat. The doctor assured the both of them that if Sara wasn't losing any weight they had nothing to worry about.

She seemed to have a more sensitive stomach and had retched at three crime scenes in the last two weeks. This also made him worry but he supposed he was just going to have to trust the doctor on this one, being he had no idea what to expect from an expectant mom.

Even with all the new complications to their lives now and in the future, thinking of Sara as a mother was starting to sound pretty good to him, and he smiled involuntarily several times during the day.

He was doing this one night as Nick was briefing him on the case they were working on when Sara ran past, heading towards the ladies room, Greg in hot pursuit apologizing profusely.

"I am so sorry Sara"

As soon as Greg saw Grissom he stopped dead in his tracks. Grissom rose an eyebrow at him "what happened?"

"I was just peaking at one of your experiments when Sara came into the lab, she saw the experiment, turned white as a ghost, and ran out the door!"

Although the reaction from Sara did not surprise Grissom, apparently it scared the hell out of Greg. Sara had been highly sensitive to some smells for a couple of weeks now, and the experiment he had brewing in the lab would have definitely sent her running.

He had tried his best to keep her away from it, she hated it when he experimented on pigs and he had two baby ones simmering under different conditions at the moment in one of the labs.

He knew the smell would send her packing and apparently he was right.

He looked sternly at Greg, "Haven't I told you to leave my experiments alone?" Grissom half asked and half reprimanded him.

"I know, I was just curious" he said holding out his arms in a I couldn't help it gesture.

"Greg, haven't you ever heard the saying curiosity killed the cat" Nick chimed in.

_Or made them lose their lunch_ Grissom thought in regards to Sara. He was going to have to do some serious explaining when she came out of the bathroom. Normal Sara was something to recon with but hormonal Sara was something completely different.

Grissom gave Greg one more look and then told him to get back to work. The young, spiky haired lab tech turned CSI was more than willing to comply.

Grissom looked over at nick, "Is there anything else needing to be processed with the case right now."

Nick could tell Grissom was trying to think of an escape plan.

"I think we have everything, you might want to find a good hiding place before Sara comes out of the bathroom though, I think your home life might get a little interesting now that she has found your experiment"

This coming from Nick's mouth surprised him.

"Why would my home life be changed?" he asked a little too innocently.

Nick just gave the older man a knowing stare. With a sigh Grissom asked, "How long have you known?"

"Sara and I have been really good friends since the incident," nick shivered a little with the memory of having spent a day in a glass coffin under ground, being rescued by the entomologist in front of him.

Grissom had managed to identify the species of fire ants that had infested the coffin meant to be Nick's grave. He pulled himself out of his reverie and addressed Grissom.

"She told me not long after Brass found out."

At seeing the shocked look on Grissom's face he said, "don't worry man, I was a little shocked at first, but I am glad the two of you are happy and I wish you the best."

Nick patted Gil on the back, "just don't hurt my little sis, you may be my boss but she really means a lot to me."

Nick walked off to the lab and Grissom headed to his office to try and hide behind a pile of paperwork, thinking of how much a family they had all become.

Ten minutes later he was immersed in paperwork when he heard it. The soft click of his office door, he didn't have to look up to see who it was, he could always feel when she was near.

"You know you could have warned me you were doing that experiment, I wouldn't have gone in there. You know how sensitive I have become to that kind of thing." He refused to look up at her. He preferred it when she yelled at him.

"I thought you would get upset with me using the pigs" He quietly admitted.

"Is it absolutely necessary for you to use them?"

"Yes."

"Then I understand." This surprised him and he looked up into her eyes and saw the truth behind the statement.

"I know you only use them when it is needed. I would have understood, but the next time you do that and don't tell me, I am going to have to hurt you. It was humiliating to have Greg see me in that condition."

He got up and moved close to her, "I know and I am sorry, can I make it up to you some how?"

She gave him a seductive look and lightly touched his cheek, "I think I can come up with something."

His mouth began to water with the prospect of what was to come. She could always make his blood boil with the slightest touch. She got up and left, leaving him thankful for the first time he had paperwork he had to do. In his current condition he didn't want to be wandering the halls.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 9

Sara entered the Gynecologists office and headed strait to the counter to check in. She gave all her information and took a seat not far from the main entrance. She was just picking up a magazine when she saw a familiar blond enter the room.

She raised the magazine a little higher to try and hide behind it. This was not a good time to be running into Catherine, this was going to be her first official pre-natal check up and Grissom was supposed to come by.

She was pretending to be interested in the magazine when she heard "Red Book, not really your kind of reading material is it."

She looked up with what she hoped was a surprised look on her face.

"Cath, what a surprise to see you, you see Dr. Andrews too."

Cath took the seat next to her, much to the displeasure of Sara and started a conversation.

"Yeah, I've been seeing him for a couple of years now, ever since my old doctor retired. That time of year huh?"

Sara hesitated for a second before replying, "Yeah"

Cath didn't seem to detect the hesitation and just plowed on with the conversation. "yeah, I've been meaning to come in for some time now and I was finally able to get an appointment."

This woman just did not shut up, Sara wished they would just call her name already. She was just beginning to think of ways to dispose of the body when she heard her name called, thank god. She said goodbye to Cath and followed the nurse to the examination room.

Cath was sitting in the waiting room browsing through the latest issue of Cosmo when she heard the deep rumble of her bosses voice, though she couldn't quite make out what he said.

She got up just as he turned around, for a moment she could swear she saw a little panic in the eyes of her good friend, but he quickly replaced it with his usual emotionless mask.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, then turned a little red knowing that was a stupid question.

"Don't you think I should be asking that question?" she said a little sheepishly, looking around to see if she could spot the woman he must be with. She knew he had a woman in his life, but didn't realize it went this far.

He regained his composure quickly and went into an explanation, "I came here because of a case, Dr. Andrews is a good friend of mine and I had some specific questions to ask him."

A nurse came up behind him just then, "Dr. Grissom, right this way."

Grissom followed the nurse into the back of the office, Cath accepted his explanation for now, but she could have sworn he seemed a tad bit uncomfortable.

"How are you feeling Miss Sidle?" The doctor asked, examining her stomach, not in all her life has she had to deal with so much poking and prodding. They had already taken their fair share of blood and even though they needed a urine specimen as well they said she would have to wait.

"I'm feeling a lot better now that the sickness seems to be waning. I can go most days without seeing the inside of a toilet."

Just as she finished this statement there was a soft knock on the examination room's door and it opened. The slightly graying head of Grissom poked in, "Can I come in."

Sara's face broke into a smile and he fully entered the room, closing the door behind him. He sidled up beside Sara and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"How is my girl doing doc?" he said without breaking eye contact with her.

"She seems to be doing fine." With this the doctor got up and looking at Sara he said "the nurse will be in shortly to take you to the sonogram room."

The both of them looked at the doctor with surprise written on their faces. Reading the worry he quickly reassured them, "don't worry, nothing is wrong. It is normal to have a sonogram at 12 weeks and again at 30 weeks. At this point you should be able to see the sex of the child, something to consider anyway."

With this he began to leave. Grissom squeezed Sara's shoulder and just as the doctor got to the door he remembered, Cath. "oh, Matt can you do me a favor?" lucky for Grissom part of what he told Cath was true, him and Dr. Andrews really were acquainted with each other through work.

He turned and looked at Grissom, "what can I do for you."

Grissom seemed to grow a little uncomfortable but decided what he needed to ask was for the best, "one of my co-workers, Catherine Willows is here to see you."

The doctor interrupted him, "you know I can't discuss anything about her with you."

Grissom held up his hands to stop Dr. Andrews, "nothing like that" god no, he was close to the woman but not that close.

He swallowed and continued, "She ah… doesn't know…ah…about us" and he motioned between him and Sara. "Do you think you could just…steer her clear of this room?"

Comprehension dawned on the doctors face and he nodded, "I will let the nurse know"

Grissom relaxed a little, "thanks."

Dr. Andrews nodded again and left the two scientists to their dilemma. Grissom looked over at Sara, concentrating once more on what the doctor said, "Do you want to know the sex of the baby?"

She looked back at him, she decided it was wise to ignore the Cath situation and just concentrate on the moment in front of them, and gazed into his eyes with indecision.

"I don't know, I haven't really thought about it." Before they could continue their conversation the nurse came in and escorted the two of them to the sonogram room. Up until this moment Grissom really didn't let it sink in that she was really pregnant, but in a couple of minutes he was going to see the baby, his baby, for the first time.

Sara recognized the panic growing in his eyes and smiled, she grabbed his hand and squeezed, enveloping him with her love. She felt him calm down while he reached an arm around her waist and gave a gentle kiss to her temple. They were in this together.

Sara was guided to an exam table surrounded by machines and began to grow a little nervous, she knew what a sonogram was but it didn't seem to alleviate her nervousness, not to mention the fact she really had to pee, and they wouldn't let her go.

Grissom helped her onto the table and draped her with a sheet offered to her by the nurse. He too seemed to be a little scared, though he tried to comfort her with a gentle hand on her shoulder.

She grabbed his hand and gave it a small squeeze, just having him there made her feel better. The nurse exposed her belly, which was still almost flat besides the small pooch she hated, but he loved.

The nurse took a tube of goop and proceeded to squeeze a good size dollop on Sara's stomach. Grissom couldn't help but be thankful it wasn't him having to go through all of this, that stuff looked disgusting and sticky.

His thoughts were interrupted by a low rhythmic beat being put out by the machine the nurse was looking at. He looked up at the monitor and all he could make out was a bunch of static, but it was clear what he heard was the steady fast paced heartbeat of his child.

He looked down from the monitor and at the face of the woman he loved. She was staring at the screen of the machine and must have been seeing something he could not because her eyes began to mist over.

Without looking away from the monitor she said "Look Gil, there's the heart."

He leaned in a little closer to see the screen a bit better and could see a dark blob in the middle of the screen that seemed to move in sync with the rhythm playing in his ears. A look of awe overtook his face and he realized then and there, this was real.

He and Sara were having a baby. The nurse looked at the two of them and asked, "So, do you want to know the sex of the baby, I have already seen it and could tell you."

The two of them just looked at each other for a minute, speaking through their eyes and an unspoken connection that has been there since they met. Grissom looked up and gave the nurse the answer he was confident they both wanted to give.

They decided Sara would leave first and then about ten minutes later Grissom would follow, just to make sure if either of them ran in to Cath on the way out they wouldn't make her any more suspicious than she already was.

This was definitely the right thing to do because as she was leaving Sara ran into Cath on her way out of the office, if Sara hadn't known better she would have thought the woman was waiting for her.

"Hey Sara, did you see Gil while you were in there?" Sara gave Cath a confused look, "why would Grissom be in a gynecologist's office?"

Shaking her head and raising her hands she said, "never mind, I don't think I want to know."

Catherine watched Sara leave the building almost feeling sorry for her. She knew Sara had a thing for Grissom, but it seemed Grissom didn't reflect those feelings. She was just beginning to leave when Grissom came out of the office with the doctor, "thanks for everything doc, see you later."

He turned to leave and ran into Cath. "we seem to keep running into each other" he said with a little humor in his voice. Cath tried to stir something up when she said, "you just missed Sara."

He showed nothing when he replied "really" while holding open the door for her. Cath just sighed and walked through the open door. This man was thicker than a brick wall she thought as they each headed to their separate cars.

One of these days he is going to wake up, look above the microscope and find he's too late.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 10

Grissom smiled all the way to the house. Cath was still clueless and he found it highly amusing. He pulled into the garage, secured the car and walked into the house. He knew Sara was home but all the lights were out.

He guessed she must be taking a nap before shift began and went into the bedroom to give her a kiss. He stopped short right inside the room and the sight in front of him made him harden in a second.

Sara was lying on her side facing him on the bed in one of the smallest negligees he had ever seen and in her hand was a container of whipped cream.

In a very husky voice she said, "I told you I would find a way to make it up to you."

It took him a couple of seconds to be able to get his body to move, and when it finally started to listen to his brain he crossed the room in a heartbeat dropping articles of clothing on his way.

When he finally made it to the bed the only item of clothing left on him was his boxers and Sara made quick work of those. She dipped a finger into the whipped cream and brought it up to her mouth, she slowly sucked the end of her finger clean.

Grissom thought he must be drooling and reached up to his mouth to make sure. Sara sat up on the bed and began to remove the top of the negligee when he halted her movements, "let me" he whispered.

She lowered her hands and let him take his time. Slowly he slipped the silken straps off her shoulders and pushed the tiny patch of material off one of her breasts, he caressed every inch of skin with his fingers as he went and then trailed small hot kisses over the areas he had just touched.

Sara let out a moan of pleasure at the sensations he inspired. Suddenly she felt something cold come into contact with her nipple and gasped. She looked down just in time to see him lick a generous amount of cream off her nipple.

After the cream was long gone he continued to lick and nip at the small bud until Sara thought she could stand it no more. He then began the same slow assault on her other nipple, fueling the fire licking at her insides.

She placed her hands in his hair and gently pulled him up to give him a kiss. He tasted of cream and Grissom. She could never get enough of that taste. They stopped kissing just long enough for him to slip her negligee over her head, leaving her completely exposed for his perusal.

He reveled in the look of her skin, it was soft and smooth to the touch and he couldn't help but place his lips on every inch, exploring the feel of it on his tongue and beneath his wandering hands.

He gently caressed her back and he kissed her neck, smelling the sweet aroma of lilacs. She reached down and encased him in her hands, feeling the strength of his arousal.

Slowly she began to massage the sensitive flesh, feeling his breath quicken as she continued. She pulled free of his grasp and gently pushed him down onto the bed, she then began the same slow assault on his senses he had done to her.

When she once again touched his arousal she didn't stop there, she felt an overwhelming need to taste him, to drive him home with her mouth. She knelt in between his legs and enclosed her lips around his tip, drawing him as deep within her mouth as she could.

His breath quickened once more with the sensations she was driving him with and he couldn't help but call her name.

"Sara please, you're driving me mad."

She didn't stop, just moved quicker to bring him closer to the edge. She knew he was close when he grabbed her shoulders and pulled her on top of him. She straddled him and encased him in her wet folds.

Feeling the moisture of her threw him over the edge and into the chasm, he knew she was right there with him and thrust deeper, making her call out his name. The spasms slowly began to recede and she collapsed on top of him, drunk on the pleasure he brought her.

It was 6:00 when Grissom finally woke up, he could feel the warmth of Sara snuggled deep in his side. He leaned down and gave her a gentle kiss on her forehead, causing her to stir slightly.

Without opening her eyes she asked what time it was.

"It's six, we have been asleep for 9 hours. How do you feel?"

She looked up at his face, "Actually, for the first time in a while, I feel great. Hungry in fact."

She smiled at that fact and snuggled a little deeper into his side, draping a leg across his.

"I'm glad, how about we jump in the shower and go get a bite to eat?"

She smiled into his chest and without responding got out of bed and headed towards the bathroom. He heard the water turn on and headed there himself. He entered the bathroom and through the shower door asked, "I take it that's a yes?"

She opened the shower door, stuck her head out and said, "yes, care to wash my back?"

How could he resist an invitation like that.


	18. Chapter 18

After they were done with their shower and were just heading out the door Grissom's cell rang, he looked at the forlorn look o

After they were done with their shower and were just heading out the door Grissom's cell rang, he noticed the forlorn look on Sara's face as he answered it.

"Grissom" Just as he answered his phone Sara's began to ring and she was sure it was about the same thing.

"Sidle" she said into the phone.

It was dispatch telling them they needed to come into headquarters to check in right away. Apparently there was a plane that veered off of the runway at the airport and crashed into another causing an explosion.

It seemed every fire crew in the area was called in to take care of the flames, and since there were no clear indications as to why the accident happened, every CSI in the city was being called in to investigate.

Grissom and Sara's eyes met for a split second before the two of them headed out to the car. They both disconnected with dispatch and moving in unison they quickly got her kit and the extra supplies she carried in her car loaded into his Denali and they were on their way.

When they finally entered the lab about twenty minutes later it looked like organized bedlam. Grissom didn't ever remember seeing so many CSI's in the lab at one time.

They were quickly moving in between the supply closets and the break room, carrying with them what seemed to be most of the supplies they had in there. Sara and Grissom walked towards the break room and discovered the room was full to the brim with chairs for everyone to sit down at for the briefing before they all went out to the scene.

Ecklie was stationed at the front of the room and saw the two of them enter, he called over to Grissom and motioned for him to come over. Sara stopped the closest CSI which happened to be Warrick and asked what she could do.

It took about another ten minutes to get all the supplies organized to be moved to the site before they all settled down into the seats to be briefed. Sara sat next to Warrick and Grissom managed to get the seat beside her just before a day shift CSI tried to grab it.

He sighed heavily as he sat beside her, leaned over slightly and whispered, 'Are you going to be able to handle this?"

All she could do before Ecklie began to talk was to nod her head slightly and quickly give his knee a squeeze before she focused on the front of the room, she knew he was worried about her and didn't take it offensively when he asked.

Warwick, who had overheard Grissom, wondered why he would wonder such a thing. If anyone could handle the sheer amount of work before them, it was Sara. Now that he thought about it, why would Grissom ask that question in the first place, and did he just see her squeeze his knee.

These thoughts were pushed out of his mind when he heard Ecklie begin to speak and he looked back up at the front of the room. It seemed that when the one plane ran into the other and exploded the two planes did not stop moving,

Ecklie began to give the specifics of the duties to be carried out.

"The debris field is approximately a mile long and the CSI's are going to be split into groups of 3 and each group will have to take a 500 yard section of the area that has been assigned a number, there will be about 10 cadets available to each team to help with the debris itself and the team leaders have already been chosen."

"Each team will have an assigned tent to place all small debris and one of the warehouses located at the airport has been sectioned off by number to place all large debris. There will be forklifts and extra men stationed every 500 yards as well to assist with the removal."

"There were approximately 300 people on the larger plane and 50 on the smaller, all are presumed to be dead at this time. Body bags are being flown in as we speak, but until they get here we are going to have to make due with what we have."

The faces of the CSI's in the room all reflected the same thing. This was going to be a hard night and it wasn't going to end in the morning. Sara was used to having to work hard long hours with little or no sleep and even less to eat, and Grissom was determined to make sure she did both.

He was happy to find out that though Sara was not assigned to his team, she was on the same team as Nick. When the briefing was over he made his way to Nick and leaned in close, "Nick" he said quietly.

Nick continued to look down at the list of things he had to gather for his team, knowing what Grissom was about to ask, "Take care of Sara, will you."

He glanced up at his boss and saw the worry in his face, and reflected in his eyes. Nick rarely ever saw this side of the man, and it was at that moment he realized just how much Grissom loved Sara.

With a reassuring tone to his voice and a small smile he looked strait back at Grissom, "you have my promise."

Grissom looked at him one last time, saw the big brother look on the man's face and felt confident Nick would take care of Sara, and unknowingly to Nick, Grissom and Sara's child.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Grissom quickly wrote a small note on a scrap of paper and while headed to his office for some supplies he discreetly slipped it to Sara. He was just about done getting things organized when Sara walked into his office and closed the door, he looked up at her and watched as a lone tear escape and trailed its way down her cheek.

He put his arms around her and let her cry. She didn't used to be this emotional when it came to the job.

She let out an irritated huff and with a rough voice almost hiccupped "Damn… hormones, I… hate… them." Grissom couldn't help but smile.

"You're sure you can handle this?"

She hugged him a little tighter to reassure both him and herself.

"I can handle it, for the victims." They gave each other one last kiss for who knew how long and the two of them left his office with the supplies to meet with the rest of their teams.

Grissom had Greg and Warwick on his team and Catherine was in charge of Sara and Nick. They headed out of the lab in shifts, each team taking both a van of supplies and one of the Denali's for transport.

Ten minutes later they were all gathered at the airport assessing the sight in front of them. It looked as though hell had erupted from the bowels of the Earth and taken over the Las Vegas airport.

Strewn across the entire length of the airport was a combination of debris, fire trucks, ambulances, and the worst thing of all. Beginning to accumulate on the sidelines of the wreckage was a never-ending line of white body bags.

The combined smells of jet fuel, fire, and death permeated the air. The team had seen some horrible things in their day, like the time 12 teenagers were brainwashed to kill themselves with the timing of a meteor shower.

That case was now overshadowed by the travesty in front of them. It was going to take days to sift through all this wreckage and the criminals of Las Vegas weren't going to stop business because all the CSIs in town were busy.

Everyone there felt helpless, all they could do was wait and watch while the rescue crews did their job. As more time went by they busied themselves with erecting the tents and setting up the gridline's while they watched the death count rise.

They were sure no one could have possibly survived. About an hour after they arrived the first of the grid lines was cleared for them to start processing. It was slow going and it took hours just to log the first 10 yards of debris.

Sara was starting to get tired but was determined to do her fair share of the work. She was just about to pick up a piece of debris when Nick came up to her, "let me help with that."

They set it on the palate and marked it with the number assigned to their part of the grid. Nick took a closer look at Sara, "have you eaten lately; you know it's mandatory to take at least a fifteen every hour, and I haven't seen you take a break since we got here."

Sara stared Nick down commenting, "For your information, I did take a break about a half an hour ago and actually ate something."

She didn't bother to mention that all she was able to swallow down was a dry bagel and a bottle of water. Her stomach was in torments with the mixture of jet fuel, fire, blood, and death.

She was having a hard time just keeping down the bagel, let alone thinking about something more substantial. Nick didn't believe her but decided against lecturing her and opted for a suggestion instead, "I'm going to the food tent to get something, do you want anything?"

Sara just re-enforced her stare and Nick got the point.

He was starting to pile some food on a plate in front of him when he ran into, or more like got run over by Grissom nearly knocking him down, "sorry man, didn't mean to run you over like that" he said knowing it was Grissom doing the running.

Grissom gave him an apologetic look, "how is Sara? Is she eating?" the older man looked worried.

Nick was beginning to think there was more to it than just worry, "She said she ate something about a half an hour ago, but I think she was lying. She looks a little green around the gills to be honest."

Grissom's face was taken over by a worried look, "Nick, do me a favor. Have Sara meet me here in about an hour will you."

Nick looked at Grissom a little harder. When Grissom saw the curios look on Nick's face he looked away, "sure Griss, whatever you want."

Nick decided he was going to have to get to the bottom of this, he had a nagging feeling at the back of his mind and if he was right he was going to have to keep a much closer eye on Sara.

He had sisters and he knew the signs. He just hoped he was wrong; this was not the place for a pregnant woman. He finished loading his plate and instead of sitting to eat he took it to go.

When he got back to his assigned grid he checked in with Catherine and then went to find Sara. He found her tagging some wreckage in one of the corners of their grid. He was just about to call out to her when he saw her sway a little.

He quickened his step and got to her just in time. Barely catching her in time, he did the only thing he could, he yelled. Catherine was moving on to a new section of the grid when she heard Nick yell her name and she went running.

"Where are you?"

Nick yelled back, "over here, it's Sara. She passed out."

Cath quickened her pace, pulling out her phone as she went. She didn't know why, but the first person she called was Griss.

Grissom was pointing something out to Warrick when his phone rang, "Grissom."

Warrick watched his boss go white as a sheet and then he started running in the opposite direction.

"I'm on my way, call the paramedics."

Warrick knew something was up and began running after his boss, who by this time seemed to be close to panic.

Grissom and Warwick got there a minute after the paramedics did. Sara was lying on the ground and Grissom kneeled down next to her watching the paramedics taking her vitals and putting an oxygen mask over her face.

He fought the urge to pull her into his arms. Instead he started to question the paramedics surrounding her.

"What happened? Is she alright?"

One of the paramedics looked over at him and answered his questions, "so far she looks fine, her vitals are strong and she doesn't seem to be in any distress. She just doesn't seem to be able to wake up. We are going to take her to Desert Palms for further treatment."

Grissom watched as they put her on a stretcher and started to take her away. He reluctantly turned around and headed in the other direction towards his Denali.

"I'm going to the hospital to make sure she's alright, I will call and let you know."

Nick was the only one there that truly understood what Grissom must be going through; the rest thought he was playing the role of concerned boss. As he was driving through the streets of Las Vegas following the ambulance that carried Sara a myriad of thoughts passed through his mind.

What if he lost her? What if something happened to the baby? He took a steadying breath and thought out loud, "get a grip on yourself Gil, she'll be fine. She's in good hands."

He pulled up to the ER, took the ticket handed to him by the valet and ran inside to meet Sara as she was wheeled in. His breath caught in his chest and he fought to stem the emotions running through him as he focused on Sara.

She had an oxygen mask on her face and an IV in one of her arms. He followed her into the ER and watched as they hooked her up to a monitor, filling the room with the steady beat of her heart, just then it struck him and he grabbed one of the nurses, "she's pregnant."

The nurse immediately ran over to the doctor and notified him. He soon began to strap some contraption onto Sara's stomach and the room was filled with two steady beats instead of one.

Grissom sighed with relief and sat in the nearest chair to avoid falling over. His mind played over the events leading to this point. He should have made sure she ate, or at least taken breaks.

He should have tried to get her on his team so he could keep a closer eye on her. There were so many should haves running through his head he couldn't think strait. Soon a nurse came over and jarred him out of his reverie and began asking him questions.

Thankful to be useful in some way and thankful for the distraction he answered their questions before being left to sit with Sara. All they could do was monitor her until she woke up.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Sara was having a nightmare. She was falling. She could hear herself scream as she kept falling. She was screaming his name and could hear him calling her back but she couldn't see him.

"Sara" it started off low at first and then he got louder.

She was getting closer to him, she could tell, but she still couldn't see him.

Louder "Sara" and then she opened her eyes.

The first thing she saw was the beautiful blue of his eyes and then she thought of the baby, "the baby" she said as she motioned to sit up.

He held her back, "is fine" and he leaned over and turned up the monitor. The room was filled once more with the reassuring rhythmic heartbeat of the baby. She relaxed against the pillows behind her, "what happened?"

She asked the question so softly he almost didn't hear her.

"You passed out in the field. I was so worried about you. When was the last time you ate?"

In answer to his question her stomach began to rumble. She gave him a guilty look, " I had a bagel while I was in the field, but all the smells around me were making me feel so sick, and I was getting really tired, I'm sorry I wasn't thinking. I could have really hurt myself or the baby."

She stopped speaking because her voice began to hitch. He gently stroked one of his hands against her cheek, the look in his eyes softened.

"You know I can't let you back in the field, professionally or personally right."

She looked despondent, "I know, but isn't there anything I can do to help?"

He cheered her up a little, "I tell you what, when they release you, you can come back to the lab and process evidence, as long as you promise to take regular breaks and eat."

He gave her a stern but loving look.

"Agreed," she said.

She was willing to settle for anything at this point and knew she couldn't ask to go back out into the field. She suddenly realized she had passed out on Nick.

"Does Nick know…" he cut her off before she could finish the thought.

"No one knows about the baby yet, but we are going to have to tell them soon, you are going to start showing soon."

"I know; I'm just worried."

He took her hand and gave it a squeeze, "I know. So am I."

Just then a huge commotion began in the room next to them and the two of them heard little snippets of conversation as nurses and doctors filed past Sara's cubical in the ER. Words like plane crash and only survivor were among them.

Grissom and Sara looked at each other with shocked expressions on their faces. Sara's hand flew to her mouth, "Grissom, I thought there were no survivors?"

The expression on his face mirrored that of hers, "I didn't think there was either. I'll go check it out. Will you be alright?"

"I'll be fine, I'm just as curious as you are, go."

With this Grissom got up and walked out of the room. It seemed like ages before he got back and when he did he just sat down next to Sara with a sad look and didn't say a word.

Sara assumed whomever the victim was must have died when Grissom finally began to speak.

"It is a…" he paused, not knowing how to go on.

Sara placed a hand on his arm and he looked in her eyes, she gently whispered "sweetie it's what?"

He looked down at her hand and covered it with his own, finding the strength to go on.

"Sara, it's a little girl, not more than 5 years old. She was almost untouched. They found her in a section of the wreckage of the smaller plane. They say the only reason she lived was because her mother…" he couldn't finish saying it.

The body of the mother was found wrapped around that of the child. The mother took the brunt of the blow, saving her daughter through the loss of her own life.

Grissom looked back up at Sara and saw a tear escape, "Don't cry honey, the little girl is alright, she was spared. She is going to live."

She took in a deep breath, "I know, but what will she have, her mother is gone."

He did not have a response to that, he was thinking the same thing but didn't want to admit it. They sat in silence for a minute before Grissom's phone began to ring. It was Catherine wanting to know if everything was alright with Sara and to see if he was going to be coming back to work.

"Sara is fine; I'll be there in about a half an hour."

He looked over at Sara, "I have to go back to work, are you sure you're going to be fine?"

"I'll be fine, you said it yourself, and I'm in good hands. Besides I'll call you if I need anything."

She gave him one of her gap toothed smiles to help reassure him, "ok, I'll call when I get a break; they said they were going to keep you over night for observation. I will stop by when my shift is over with."

He gave her a kiss on the forehead and then a deeper one on the lips and looked in her eyes, "see you later, I love you."

She gave him one last kiss, "I love you too, now go back to work and don't worry."

He got up and walked out of the door and Sara quickly fell asleep. She didn't realize she was that tired until they woke her up to take her to her room.

Sara took advantage of being in the hospital and asked the nurse taking care of her, "I was one of the criminalists working on the plane crash, can you tell me how the little girl who was brought in earlier is."

"She is stable but still in shock" The nurse took Sara's blood pressure and disconnected the instruments on her stomach before helping her into the wheelchair she brought into the room.

The nurse started to wheel Sara out of the room when she stopped her, "can I see the little girl?"

The nurse seemed to think on it for a minute before answering, "I don't know, you said you were an investigator on that plane crash right?" the nurse took on a mischievous smile and turned the chair the head for the child.

Sara smiled, "thank you."

They rounded the corner between Sara's room and the one next to it and Sara spotted the little girl in the bed.

"She is so small, have they identified her yet?"


	21. Chapter 21

The nurse looked at the chart hanging off the edge of the bed, "her name is Ashley Kessler, age three, and apparently she was

The nurse looked at the chart hanging off the edge of the bed, "her name is Ashley Kessler, age three, and apparently she was the only child on either of the planes."

"Thankfully" Sara whispered, stopped for a second and then asked, "did you say Ashley Kessler?"

The nurse double checked the name on the chart, "yes, that's right" Sara thought for a moment and then decided it had to be just a coincidence.

She had a hard enough time with death as it was but the death of a child was particularly hard, especially now, she thought this as she placed her hand on her stomach. She leaned in closer to get a better look at the sleeping child.

She was sleeping in a fetal position in the bed, which only made her look smaller in comparison to the hospital bed and she had curly brown hair that was shoulder long with fair skin.

Her cheeks still held a little baby fat making them slightly puffed. She was small but looked well fed and loved. Sara had to be sure about the identity of the child and asked,

"Have they found any family members yet?"

"Not that I know of, but with your resources you might be able to."

Sara nodded her head slightly "yeah" She was wondering if Gil would allow her to investigate the little child, after all, she couldn't go back out to the field for a while.

The nurse wheeled her to the elevator and took her up to the fifth floor. They exited the elevator and sitting on the wall before Sara was a sign reading Maternity with an arrow pointing off to the left and Pediatrics with an arrow pointing off to the right.

Once she was settled into a very nice private room and hooked back up to all the monitoring gadgets she called Grissom. He took her clothes and her phone so she had to use the hospital phone.

Grissom was processing yet another piece of debris when his phone began to ring. He looked at the caller I.D. and read Palm Springs Hospital, he quickly answered it, worried something may have happened to Sara, "Grissom" he answered, trying to sound calm though he didn't feel it.

"Hey" he heard from the other end of the line and relaxed, it was Sara and she sounded pretty happy and more rested.

"Hey yourself" he looked around and saw neither Greg or Warrick were close by, "how do you feel, honey, do you need me?"

Sara noticed the concern in his voice and quickly reassured him "no, I just wanted to let you know what room I'm in and the fact that I seem to be missing all my clothes and my phone. The room is 502 by the way."

She hesitated before asking, "Do you think you will be able to get away for dinner?"

Grissom frowned, "I wish I could but I already left once today and they really need me, I'm sorry hon."

Sara was a little disappointed but tried not to let it show, "it's ok, maybe you could come over later."

There was nothing more Grissom wanted to do than go and see Sara but they really did need him.

"I might be able to break away later this evening, but no promises."

Sara felt guilty for not being there to help. She and Grissom talked for another minute or two but he had to get back to work.

It was about a half an hour after he hung up with Sara that the FBI's disaster relief had finally shown up and the Las Vegas crime lab was going to be able to get back to a somewhat normal schedule.

Though they would still have an integral part in the recovery, they'd just be shifting to the human element. All the staff of the lab were going to have to work on identifying the dead and notifying their families.

The CSI's for the night shift were released at 1:00 in the afternoon in order to allow them to get some sleep and to freshen up for the shift to come. Grissom went home, took a quick shower and grabbed a couple of hours sleep.

At 7:00 when he woke up he decided to surprise Sara at the hospital and bring her some pajamas, a set of clothes for when they released her tomorrow and some other toiletries she might need.

He stopped off at a local florist and picked up some flowers before heading to the hospital. He jumped onto the elevator and went to the fifth floor, he was shocked to find she was in the maternity dept but guessed that was were all the pregnant women went.

He stopped by the nurses station to double check and sure enough she was in room 502.

He made his way to her room and stopped short when he got there. He stood in the doorway, overnight bag in one hand and flowers in the other, staring at the scene in front of him.

Sara was lying in bed with a strange mixture of fear, humor, and anxiety playing on her face, all this turned to relief when she saw him. Surrounding her bedside was Greg, Nick, Warrick, and Catherine.


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Catherine looked at him, "close your mouth Gil."

Grissom did as instructed and then slowly stepped into the room. He headed to Sara, feeling the stares of the people around him, wondering what he was going to do. He thought why not as he leaned over Sara and gave her what was an unmistakably loving kiss on the lips.

Nick smiled and Warrick shook his head. Greg stifled a gasp and Catherine had a dawning look of understanding on her face.

When Grissom pulled away from the kiss he raised his eyebrow and whispered "I love you" just soft enough for Sara to hear in her ear and received an "I love you too" from Sara spoken softly into his ear.

Once he stood up Cath smacked him on the arm and began to rant, "why didn't you tell us, we had to find out like this, all of us were stunned to find Sara in the Maternity Ward. When did all this happen?"

She turned to Sara at this point with a slightly softer tone to her voice, "how far along are you? I'm assuming its Gil's."

Grissom raised his hands and stopped her, "Calm down Cath, we didn't tell anyone because we haven't told the sheriff yet and we didn't want him to find out through the grapevine, plus you know how private we are. It took us a long time to get this far and we wanted to take it slow."

"Taking it slow huh?" Catherine asked with sarcasm.

Grissom and Sara then began to explain everything from the beginning. They told the crew everything that must be said and nothing more. They didn't need to know that it had taken years for him to finally ask her out or that it was rough at first.

He was 15 years older than her and he felt for the longest time that was a huge obstacle, he also thought the fact he was her boss was a deciding factor in why he never pursued a relationship with her, but he finally decided if he didn't take the chance he was never going to find out if he was deserving of Sara.

He thought by the time he got the guts to ask her out she might no longer want him, but she reassured him he would never have been too late.

Sara ended the conversation by asking, "until we tell Ecklie we need you guys to keep it a secret please." She received nothing but agreement in return.

A nurse came into the room and announced that it was 9:00 and visiting hours were over.

Nick gave Sara a hug and a peck on the cheek, "congrats sis, I'm happy for the two of you," and he gave Grissom a pat on the back and left the room. Greg also gave Sara a hug but dared to give her a kiss on the mouth as well, he looked over at Grissom and feeling a little courage said, "take care of my girl."

Warrick waited his turn to give Sara a hug and turned to Grissom with a grin on his face, "I knew there was someone in your life man, I'm happy for you."

Catherine was the last to leave the room; she turned towards Sara and inspected her closely. She really did look happy, and she had seen the change in Grissom as well.

"When you get out of this place I want all the details."

She smiled at the two of them and gave Sara a heartfelt hug, turned around and did the same to Gil, much to his surprise. Once Catherine was out of the room Grissom pulled a chair closer to Sara and leaned over to give her a kiss.

"We need to make an appointment with the sheriff and get this out into the open. Then we can finally set a date for the wedding."

He placed his hand on her slightly rounded stomach and smiled, "the sooner the better I think" she smiled back at him, placing her hand over his and he began to once more create plans, only this time he was going to be able ask for help.

Sara scooted over on the bed and patted the space she emptied. Grissom took the hint and layed down next to Sara and she cuddled into his side. She could never get enough of him, the smell, the feel, and the touch made every nerve ending stand on end with anticipation.

He layed next to her and she was ever conscience of his hand on her stomach. He quickly fell asleep, the worry that threatened to drown him finally gone.

Sara woke him up at ten with a gentle whisper, "Gil wake up. You need to go to work."

He moved slightly but didn't wake. Sara raised her voice slightly, "Gil, honey, wake up."

He sleepily replied, "I'm awake, I just don't want to be."

He looked down at her and saw the gapped tooth smile he loved so much and slowly got up and out of the bed. He turned up the volume on the monitor one last time and listened to the rhythm play.

He was so thankful the surgery was a success. He couldn't imagine not being able to hear that beautiful sound. He turned it back down and gave Sara a soft kiss on the lips followed by an equally soft one to her temple.

"I'll stop by to pick you up in the morning, call if you need anything."

She nodded her head and laid back down on the pillow, sighing softly and placing both of her hands on her stomach. He smiled his way to his car and headed to work, he was going to need that extra little bit of sleep to field all the questions that will be coming his way from the guys.


	23. Chapter 23

He pulled up to the lab and waited for a couple of minutes before entering

He pulled up to the lab and waited for a couple of minutes before entering. He headed strait for his office to pick up the evenings assignments, and then headed to the break room.

When he entered the room all four of them were sitting around the table talking. They suddenly sat a little straighter and the room became quite, which was an ominous sign. He walked up to the table and handed out slips like nothing had happened.

"Catherine, Warrick you have a DB at the Luxor, Nick Greg you have a B and E in the Tangiers."

He looked at them and stemmed any questions they may have had by holding up his hands, "I think we can all meet for lunch around three at the café. So save up your questions for then please."

They all thankfully agreed and headed out to the field while Grissom went to his office to take care of the paperwork threatening to engulf his desk. He was just starting to make headway when Ecklie breezed into his office.

Grissom moaned inwardly, wondering what the man could possibly want when he began to speak, "I hear Sara passed out in the field yesterday, is she alright?"

Wondering why the man would care an iota if Sara was ok he answered with a calm tone, "yes, she is fine, the guys all went to see her before shift began."

Ecklie's eyebrows rose, "they did?"

There was definitely something going on in that mind of his and Grissom was wondering what that could possibly be.

"As you know, I am in charge of all workman's comp cases and since Sara's incident happened while on the job…"

Grissom stopped him there. "I am the one who gave all the information to the hospital and I don't recall telling them this was an on the job incident."

He looked strait in the face of his boss while he said this.

"A couple of my people saw what had happened and informed me of the incident, I took it upon myself to notify the hospital and found out some very interesting information."

Ecklie paused for a moment and Grissom was becoming impatient, holding out his hands he asked, "and that would be?"

Ecklie moved in closer in order to see the reaction on the older mans face, he knew Grissom had a soft spot when it came to Sidle and he was more than willing to jab him where it counts.

"Well, I heard Sara was in the maternity ward at the hospital. You do realize what that means."

He raised his eyebrows at Grissom while asking this question, Grissom just gave him an impatient look, "It means she's pregnant, I told you the gang and I went to see her before shift began. This is not a surprise to me. If you don't have anything pertinent to say that is work related could you please let me get my paperwork done."

And with that Grissom turned his attention back to his paperwork and ignored the man still standing in front of him. Ecklie finally grasped the fact the conversation was over and left the room.

As soon as the man turned the corner and was gone Grissom removed his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose, he could feel a migraine beginning at the back of his head and decided he better take something now before it got worse.

His team was not going to let him get out of the conversation he knew they were building questions for right now. He took the prescription bottle out of the bottom drawer of his desk and was just popping one of them in his mouth when Catherine came in.

She waited until he swallowed a couple mouthfuls of water before saying anything. She looked almost guilty, "What have you done?" he asked with more than a little curiosity on his face.

She came further into the office and sat in the chair in front of him, she looked out the window before pulling something out from behind her. Grissom found himself looking at one of the smallest pair of socks he had ever seen.

Catherine plastered a smile on her face, "I saw these in one of the shops at the casino and I couldn't help myself. Aren't they just the cutest things, do you think Sara will like them?"

A little timidly she added, "as a piece offering."

Grissom smiled back at his good friend, "I think she'll love them, the gesture doesn't hurt either."

He gave her a pointed look and received and understanding one in return. She got up from her chair and placed the socks on his desk, "I'll see you at break" and she left.


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 14

Several hours and a mound of paperwork later Grissom was sitting in a booth with the other members of his team. They were all looking at the menus trying to decide what to order and Grissom was thinking about everything that had happened to him and his team.

He remembered the time he helped Warwick overcome his gambling habit, saving his career. He looked at Nick and thought about the time his team worked together to save their fellow CSI from a shallow grave.

His mind wandered to the time Catherine's daughter was kidnapped and the team rallied around her to find her. Greg was practically jumping out of his seat trying to decide what he wanted and Grissom thought back to the time his youngest CSI risked his own life to save the life of a pedestrian, getting severely beaten by the mob himself.

These people were his family and he couldn't think of a better lot of people to surround himself with. Then he thought about Sara, through all these times she was there with them.

Silently supporting him and his team, but it was when Nick was kidnapped that their relationship changed from one of friendship to something more.

_After they found Nick and he was nestled safely in a hospital bed under the watchful eye of his fellow CSI"s, Grissom found the nearest empty room and proceeded to have a minor breakdown. _

_This is where Sara found him twenty minutes later. She knocked on the door gently and entered without an invite, she looked at the man sitting in front of her, his shoulders were slumped with his elbows on his knees and his hands covering his face. _

_She stood close in front of him and placed a hand on his shoulder, he leaned forward encircled her waist with his arms and dug his head into her midsection. She let him release all the built up tension without judging him to be less than a man, it was then he realized he was deluding himself all these years he denied himself the pleasure of her company. _

_He surprised her then by leaning back and pulling her onto his lap, kissing her passionately. It was the first time they had ever kissed and he could still feel the amount of love she poured into him with that one kiss. _

_Wrapping him in her love, making him realize just how much he loved her and wanted her as much more than the co-worker role he had forced her to be for him for so long. _

"Gil" the sound of his name brought him back to the here and now and he realized they were all looking at him expectantly.

"What?" he asked and Warrick shook his head, "are you going to order man, or are you going make the waitress wait a little longer."

Grissom looked up at the waitress, "Sorry, I'll have pancakes and a side of fruit."

He handed the menu to the waitress and saw the look on the guys faces, "what?" he asked again.

Catherine chimed in, "No bacon, no ham, no eggs. Come to think of it I haven't seen you eat meat in a while."

Grissom looked over at her with an easy look, "for your information, I do still eat meat. I have just cut down my consumption for the good of my health and out of respect for Sara."

He got looks of admiration from them and a comment from Cath, "you must really love her."

He was never comfortable with sharing his feelings but thought it was time he said it out loud to more than just Sara.

"I love her very much" his admission seemed to surprise them and he knew they were thinking the same thing he was, Sara was good for him.

The rest of the meal was spent talking about his and Sara's relationship; how long they have been together, when they decided to move in together, the fact that Brass was the first of them to find out.

He found it amazingly easy to speak to them. An hour later and the conversation was still going, Grissom looked at his watch and decided they had better get back to the job.

"I'll talk to Sara and we can have all of you over as soon as she feels up to it, ok. Then you guys can interrogate her instead of me."

He asked for the check and paid the waitress, though the others complained, saying he was going to have to save his money because he had a baby on the way. He refused their offer to pay the bill.

They did not know that being a recluse for so long, not to mention the salary he received from doing all the conferences and the endless amount of scientific books he had written, he and Sara would never have to worry about money.

He just smiled at all of them and left them to go back to work, he still had a mountain of paperwork to do. When he got back to the office he noticed the small stockings sitting on the top of his desk, he decided to forgo the paperwork for a little while and fired up his computer to do some research online.

There was a lot the two of them were going to have to get and he was damned if he wasn't going to get the top of the line for his little one. After about an hour he had finally decided on what brand would be the best for what they needed. He set aside his computer and dug once more into the pile of paperwork sitting on his desk.

Sara wasn't used to being asleep during the night, even on their days off her and Grissom would stay up during the night and run errands. They lived in the city that never sleeps so they took advantage of that.

She was sitting up in bed, bored and not tired in the least when her nurse came in, "Do you think I could go for a walk" she looked at her nurse and saw the expression on her face, "I guess not."

She was going stir crazy, it was only 5 in the morning and she had managed to sleep until around 3 but she woke up and couldn't get back.

"You stay in bed, your still under observation" her nurse gave her a warning look.

She had no choice but to comply. Once her nurse was out of the room she picked up her phone and dialed, "Grissom" she heard on the other end and smiled.

"I couldn't sleep" he could practically hear the pout in her voice and smiled inwardly.

"I bet, how are you feeling otherwise?"

She rolled her eyes, knowing he was worried about her.

"I'm fine, and the damn nurses won't let me even pee by myself."

He chuckled at the thought of Sara under such strict watch, she heard his chuckle, "you think that's funny do you, what time are you going to pick me up?" she sounded impatient.

"I'll be able to get out of here in about 3 hours, yes I know that's an hour after I'm supposed to get off but I have a lot of paperwork to get done."

Sara felt guilty for being short with him, she knew how much he hated paperwork.

"I'm sorry; I just want to go home."

His tone softened a bit, "I know, I'll call you when I get off, I love you."

She sighed, "I love you too, see you later" and she hung up the phone.


	25. Chapter 25

About an hour later she heard a noise in the doorway and looked up, Nick was standing there with a paper bag in his hand

About an hour later she heard a noise in the doorway and looked up, Nick was standing there with a paper bag in his hand. He walked into the room not surprised to see Sara awake.

"I thought you might need something other than hospital food and stopped to get you a little something" he placed the paper bag on her lap and a most heavenly scent escaped it.

Sara opened the bag and looked inside, she pulled out a plastic container and lifted the lid. Inside was a generous size helping of vegetable lasagna.

She looked up at nick, "I could kiss you."

Nick leaned in close and exposed a cheek, Sara gave him a quick peck and dove into what could only be considered one of the most wonderful things in the world. Nick sat there and watched Sara devoir the lasagna wondering if he had ever seen her eat so much and with so much gusto.

He was thankful he was told to put a little something more in the bag when he saw her finish the dish off. He looked at her with disbelief etched on his face, "I guess you were a little hungry?"

She sighed in contentment, "you have no idea just how good that tasted."

He grabbed the bag off her lap, "do you still have enough room for this?" and he pulled out another container, opened the lid, and showed her the contents.

Inside was a piece of chocolate cake surrounded by strawberries and smothered in syrup. She looked up at him with wide eyes, "how did you know?"

His expression turned sheepish, "Grissom asked me to come and look in on you, he let me know what you like and where to get it. I didn't believe him when he told me to get a larger serving, but now…"

Sara just looked at him for a minute, trying to decide to be angry or thankful. She finally decided to not look a gift horse in the mouth.

"Thanks, and watch it. I am eating for two you know."

She gratefully took the container from Nick and offered to share it with him. He sat in a chair next to her and together they ate the desert. The two of them sat there and chatted, talking about the B&E he and Greg had worked on the night before.

It turned out one of the workers at the shop got his arm stuck in a vending machine trying to get a candy bar out of it. Apparently he had paid for it but it didn't fall down, so he reached into the machine to get it and got stuck.

Sara burst out laughing just as Gil came into the room.

"Hey, what's so funny?" Sara looked up at Grissom still chuckling, "Nick was just telling me about the B&E he and Greg worked on tonight."

Grissom chuckled himself, remembering how Greg told the story. Sara looked up at him, "what time is it? I thought you couldn't get here until 8?"

Grissom looked at his watch and then up at Sara, "It's 9 o'clock. I'm actually a little late."

Nick looked at his own watch and yawned "I think I'm going to go home and get some shut eye" he looked over at Sara, "am I going to see you at work tonight?"

She was about to answer when Grissom did it for her, "you will, but she has been confined to the office for the next week."

Sara was about to protest when she saw the look in his eyes. She decided she had better agree with him. Nick was just about to walk out of the room when Grissom's phone went off.

He answered it and held up a hand to stop Nick from leaving.

"I understand, I'll be there in half an hour."

He hung up the phone and gave both Sara and Nick an apologetic look, "there's a DB covered in insects off 115 and they need me."

Sara could see the spark in his eye at the prospect and understood; she looked over at Nick, "Mind taking me home before you head to your own?"

Grissom chimed in, "I'm really sorry guys."

Sara gave him an understanding look, "Don't worry about it, no one understands work more than Nick and I, go play with your bugs and I will see you at home."

Grissom leaned over and gave her a kiss. This is really going to take some getting used to thought Nick to himself. Grissom stood back up and thanked Nick.

"No problem Griss, I'll make sure she gets home in one piece.


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 15

It was about 1 o'clock in the afternoon when Grissom finally showed up to the condo they lived in and when he entered the room he could smell what seemed to be fresh baked cookies.

He walked into the kitchen and saw Sara standing in front of the stove moving some cookies from a sheet onto a cooling tray. She was wearing one of his old beat up LVPD shirts and it was almost caked in flour, along with a lot of other things in the kitchen, and all he could think about was how sexy she looked.

He stepped into the room and took a deep breath, the cookies did seem to smell good. He waited until she was done placing the last cookie on the sheet before he came up behind her and began to nuzzle her neck.

"Are you hungry?" she asked a little breathlessly.

"Hmmm" was all he could manage in response before he turned her around and kissed her passionately. He wanted her so bad but he was worried about her at the same time, he asked a little breathlessly.

"Are you ok, I don't want to hurt you." He placed his hand on her stomach, "or the baby."

She reached down and felt him through his slacks and he sucked in a breath, "I'm fine, and so is the baby" that was all he needed to know.

He reached a hand down and was pleasantly surprised to see she was not wearing any underwear under the t-shirt and took advantage of the situation; he cupped her and felt her heat as he plunged a finger into her folds.

She gasped with the sensation and opened her legs slightly to allow him more access. He could feel her grow even wetter with anticipation. She reached down to his trousers, unhooked his belt and unzipped his pants, sliding them down just low enough to free him from his constraints.

He lifted her hips and she encircled his waist with her legs. He gently entered into her sill fearing he may hurt her when she pulled at his shoulders, digging her nails into them

"Gil, please." He lost control and plunged into her completely.

A guttural sound escaped his lips as she moved her hips in time with his, she reached above her head and grabbed the handles of the cupboard for support while he grabbed her bottom and raised her pinning her against the counter, moving them closer to completion with every thrust of his hips.

She leaned her head back and he enveloped one of her nipples into his mouth sucking and nipping at the sensitive flesh. She thought she would go mad with the sensations he was driving into her.

He continued to drive deeper and deeper into her until she thought he would touch the tip of her heart. They moved closer and closer to the edge of the abyss and their movements increased.

"Gil" she yelled in delight as she convulsed around him and he thrust deep into her and jumped over the edge to join her. She brought her hands down to his shoulders to hold on for dear life.

They remained there for several moments, Grissom trying to move his legs and Sara just trying to move. Slowly her breathing returned to normal and she was able to unfold herself from him and place her feet on the floor.

He placed his forehead against hers and took in a deep breath.

"Yes" he said all of a sudden.

"Yes what?" she asked.

"Yes, I'm hungry" he looked at her with a smile and she remembered what she asked him when he first came into the room. She smiled and looked down at his disheveled appearance.

"Why don't you go and clean up while I make us something to eat and then we can both climb into bed and get some sleep. He shrugged his shoulders and began to leave the room, "if you say so dear."

This elicited a smile from Sara as she put the last batch of cookies in the oven and began to clean up. By the time Grissom was back in the kitchen wearing his favorite pajamas the last batch of cookies was on the cooling rack and she was cutting vegetables for a salad, only this time she was wearing a pair of sweats to go with the t-shirt.

"There's a steak in the fridge if you want to heat up the grill" she really did know the way to a mans heart.

"Steak, have I told you lately how much I love you."

She looked at him over her shoulder "you might have said it once or twice, there's also some salmon for me in there, the doctor said I need to increase my protein intake."

She saw the look on his face, "not that kind of protein, yuck!"

Grissom laughed and headed out to the patio with the steak and salmon while Sara continued to cut the vegetables. The steak was just about done when Sara came out onto the porch balancing the salad, plates, utensils, and place mats.

He hurried over and helped her set the patio table. Grissom grabbed the plates and took them over to the grill.

"Sara?" she looked up from the table, "yeah".

He placed the steak on his plate and the salmon on hers, "I might have told the guys they could come over some time for dinner or a BBQ, will that be ok with you."

Sara could only guess what could have prompted him to do that, "they were asking a lot of questions huh?"

He placed the plates on the table and Sara put some salad on them. He just gave her a smirk, "you know me so well."

She couldn't help but chuckle a little at his discomfort, "sweetie" she said placing a hand on his arm, "it's fine with me, but you are cooking the meat, we can't invite the guys and not serve meat."

He brightened up at her lightheartedness as he cut into his steak. He put a morsel of the meat into his mouth as she asked, "when do you want to do it."

She was becoming almost ecstatic about the idea, spouting off ideas here and there. She was in the middle of a sentence when she looked up from her plate and saw the expression on his face.

"Gil, are you listening?" he seemed to give himself a mental shake, "I'm sorry honey, I was just thinking how lovely you look, almost like your glowing."

She knew he was trying to get himself out of a tight spot and she smiled.

"I said we could turn the BBQ into a housewarming party, would that be ok. I know we've been here for almost six months but we have never had the crew over."

Grissom nodded as he put the last bite in his mouth, "sounds good."

They cleared the table and did the dishes together and then they both fell into bed. The alarm clock rudely woke them up at 9 o'clock, Grissom grumbled and covered his head with the sheet as Sara reached over him and turned off the alarm clock.

He barely registered the fact she was got out of bed and only really began to wake when he heard the shower turn on. He grudgingly got out of bed and headed to the kitchen to get the coffee going.

He put the kettle on for Sara's tea and it was just beginning to whistle when she entered the room, a ray of sunshine in a green sleeveless shirt and a pair of jeans. Grissom looked a little closer at the pants and didn't remember ever seeing them before.

Sara caught him inspecting her pants and commented, "These are the only pants that fit me anymore, I am going to have to get some more in a larger size."

She lifted the edge of her shirt and he could see she had made a temporary clasp out of a safety pin to keep those closed. Grissom looked at his watch, it was 9:30.

"If we leave in the next ten minutes we should have enough time to stop and get you some new ones before work" and he left the room to get dressed.

Less than five minutes later he was back in the kitchen fully dressed and ready to go. Sara handed him his travel mug full of coffee and they climbed into the car. He turned the car on and realized he had no idea where to go, he looked over at Sara, "you wouldn't happen to know where we could find maternity clothes do you?"

She looked at him, "why on earth would I know, I've never had to shop for them before."

Grissom took out his phone and dialed the first person he thought of, Catherine.

"Willows" he heard from the other end of the line.

"Hey Cath, it's Gil" he hesitated for a moment, he had no idea how he was going to explain what he needed.

He was in the process of figuring it out when Sara leaned over and grabbed his phone out of his hand and began to speak, "Cath hi, I'm fine, how's lins, good. What Gil was trying to ask is that I seem to have an issue with my wardrobe, nothing seems to fit and I have found myself in a predicament. I don't know where to shop for maternity clothes, could you recommend somewhere we can go right now."

Sara heard Cath chuckle before answering, "there's a place in the mall on the north end of town, the name of it is MotherHood. They have very nice clothes and a lot of them don't look like maternity. They are open until 12 so you should be ok. Are the two of you going to make it to work on time?"

Sara glanced at her watch, "We should, we aren't far from there and it shouldn't take too long."

Cath sounded a little skeptical when she said "ok, see you when you get here" and disconnected. Sara told Grissom where to go and they headed towards the mall, not knowing just what they were about to get into.


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Grissom and Sara stood in the entrance to the shop looking at the various clothing, wondering where to start when a salesgirl came up to them.

"How can I help you two."

Sara looked a little uncomfortable, "I need some new pants."

The sales girl seemed to understand the predicament Sara was in because she got a knowing look on her face and guided the two of them to one of the racks.

"I need something that doesn't look like maternity clothes" she leaned in close, "there are still a couple people at work that don't know."

This didn't seem to phase her as she reached over and took a couple of items off the rack. They managed to find several pairs of pants and some shirts and stopped short when the woman asked Sara what size bra she wore.

"Why would I need a new bra, the one I have fits fine."

The woman lowered her voice, "they won't for long, take the advice of someone who's been where you are and get a couple new ones."

She almost whispered, "they grow."

At this Sara's eyebrows shot up and she looked down at her chest. "your kidding."

The clerk shrugged, "sorry, I'm not." Sara reluctantly picked out a couple of new bra's and some underwear, hers were getting a little tight.

When they got to the lab Sara headed into the locker room to change and Grissom went to his office to pick up the case slips. He went into the break room and got a cup of coffee while waiting for Sara to come into the room.

She entered the room about ten minutes later looking almost the same as she usually did. The clothes they got didn't look like maternity clothes but they didn't hide her growing stomach as much as she wanted to.

As they were shopping for her clothes the two of them decided to make an appt. with the sheriff to let him know and to discuss what to do next.

Cath was the first to comment, "Hey Sara, you look nice" and she smiled.

The others chimed in afterwards; being careful not to mention the fact they could tell she was pregnant. Grissom began to hand out assignments as Sara took a seat.

"Sara, your in the lab, Nick you have a DB, Warwick, you and Greg have a decomp, sorry. Cath you're with me, we have a DB at LVNU."

He handed them all their perspective slips and asked Sara to see him in his office. Ten minutes later she walked in and sat dejectedly on the chair in front of his desk. Before she had the chance to say a word he began to talk.

"We have an appt. with the sheriff in the morning at 8. I am going to propose that Catherine take over as your supervisor so you can stay on the night shift. Will that be alright with you?"

She looked at him, "I don't think I have much choice in the matter. Besides Cath and I are getting along fine. Are you sure you don't want me to come with you?"

She had barely gotten out the words when he held up his hands and looked into her eyes with and understanding look.

"Sara, your lucky I didn't make you take some of that personal time you have saved up."

She nodded her head, agreeing it was probably for the best, but she hated paperwork as much as he did. She got a nasty look on her face and he knew she was thinking about all the paperwork sitting between the two of them.

"I'll take what I can get."

Cath came into the office, "you ready to go?"

"yeah" he said reaching down and grabbing his kit, he placed a hand on her shoulder momentarily and then left her to her chore. He met Catherine in the parking lot and they were soon on their way.

They were about halfway there when Grissom broke the silence, "Cath, I need your help" she looked at him with curiosity, "sure, what can I do."

He took a couple of minutes to gather his thoughts, "shortly before Sara and I moved in together, which wasn't long after I came back from sabbatical, I asked Sara to marry me."

Catherine positively squealed, "I had no idea you were that much in love with her, how did you do it?"

Grissom went on to explain all the details of how he proposed. Catherine thought what he did was the most original and most romantic thing she had ever heard.

"Anyway" he continued, "now that everyone knows I want to get the wedding planned, and I would like your help in organizing it, to be a surprise for Sara. It has to be soon, before the baby is born."

Grissom could tell the wheels in Catherine's head were turning and she looked over at him.

"I know you want this to be a surprise for Sara, but I think you should let her have a part in the organization of her own wedding. Hopefully it will be the only time and it should be all she wants it to be. If she agrees, I will help, but I will not organize it behind her back. I'm sorry Gil, you will have to discuss it with her. I will agree with you on one thing though."

He looked over at her briefly, then back at the road.

"And what is that?" he asked.

She answered matter of fact, "you need to do it ASAP, you can tell she is pregnant."

Grissom had to agree with everything Cath had to say. They arrived at the crime scene and when they began up the walk to the frat house they could both smell the decomp, and a deputy was retching in the bushes, this did not bode well for their night.

It was about 5 and Sara was just going through the last file when Grissom trudged into the office smelling positively foul. Sara scrunched her nose at the stench and tried to keep her stomach from revolting from the smell.

"What happened to you?"

He moved over to the couch and made to sit on it but was stopped short by Sara, "don't sit on that couch, you stink!"

He gave her a very disgruntled look, "where do you want me to sit?"

She answered matter of factly, "in the shower, now go."

She pinched her nose in an attempt to stem the smell and breathed through her mouth instead.

"Does Cath smell like this too?"

"Yeah, our DB ended up being a decomp, must have been there for at least a week. It was tied up and stuffed inside a cooler, the only reason the body was found was because his frat buddies tried to borrow the cooler."


	28. Chapter 28

She gave the poor dejected man a sympathetic look, "I'll run to the store and purchase some lemons, I'll meet you in the showe

She gave the poor dejected man a sympathetic look, "I'll run to the store and purchase some lemons, I'll meet you in the shower, let Cath know I'll get some for her too. Now go start scrubbing" he gave a huge sigh and headed to the shower while Sara headed to the store.

She entered the locker room about twenty minutes later with every lemon the store had, the sight in front of her was pathetic. Apparently some of the crew, probably Greg, thought it would be funny to cord the locker room with crime scene tape, though Sara doubted it would be necessary.

The two CSI's in the room looked clean enough but the stench emanating from the room was overwhelming. She stepped under the tape and handed half the lemons to Grissom and half to Cath and pointed them in the directions of the showers.

She poked her head out of the locker room and yelled for Greg. He came bounding around the corner, she looked at him, "was this your doing?" she asked as she pointed out the tape in front of the door.

All she got in return was a guilty look. "since you seem to have some time on your hands, follow Grissom into the shower and start cutting lemons, I'll be in helping Catherine."

She handed him a knife and directed him in the direction of the showers. It was a community shower room but the individual compartments were completely covered by shower curtains so she was could to make sure Grey did what she asked.

She followed him into the shower area and began cutting lemons for Cath and handing them over to her.

Cath stuck her head out, "thanks Sara, I take everything I said about you back."

Sara just smiled, knowing Cath was kidding and handed her a couple of lemons. Grissom looked out of his own curtain saw Greg and thanked him as the young CSI handed him a couple of cut lemons.

They finished cutting the lemons, stacking them in front of the stalls and Sara went out of the room for a moment coming back with two medical waste bags and a mask over her mouth and nose.

She handed one of the bags to Greg and instructed him to gather Grissom's clothes and put them into the bag while she did the same with Catherine's.

"I don't get a mask?" he asked while placing Grissom's pants in a bag.

"Serves you right for doing what you did instead of offering to help. She heard the shower on Cath's stall turn off and handed her a towel. "you can leave now Greg, and take those clothes and put them in the locker room for me please."

He almost whined, "why do you get to stay?"

She gave him a pointed look, "because I am a woman and Catherine doesn't have anything I haven't seen and," she gave him a sheepish look this time while placing her hand on her slightly rounded stomach, "Grissom doesn't have anything I haven't seen either."

Greg almost turned green at that thought and shuddered, she heard a chuckle come out of both the stalls while looking at the retreating back of Greg and chuckled herself. Cath came out of the stall with a towel wrapped around her, "now that was funny."

Grissom turned off the shower and Sara handed him a towel while he commented, "I would have to agree."

Sara handed a pair of overalls to Cath with a set of undergarments Cath kept in her locker.

"Thanks Sara" and she ducked back behind the curtain.

Grissom stuck his head out of the shower, "is it safe."

Sara walked over to him and gave him a kiss, "Cath is getting dressed, and here are some overalls."

She handed them over to him with a set of drawers. Cath emerged from the stall across the room, "I hate decomps, what time is it? I have to pick up Lindsey from my mothers before taking her to school."

Sara checked her watch; they were in the shower for almost an hour.

"It's 6:30, what time do you have to be there."

Cath turned around and began to run out of the room.

"I have to be there at 7, I guess I'll have to go like this, thanks again Sara" and she disappeared into the other room.

Grissom emerged from his shower stall, "we have a meeting in an hour, want to grab some breakfast beforehand?"

They headed toward the break room, "sounds great, can I invite a guest."

Grissom gave her a questioning look, "I wanted to invite the guys, this way Ecklie won't get suspicious."

He smiled, "sounds good" he said as they entered the break room. Greg had Warrick and Nick is stitches about Grissom and Cath's dilemma no doubt, Sara thought to herself.

"Hey guys, feel like getting some breakfast." Sara asked before Grissom could say anything.

Greg sat up a little straighter, "sounds good, where we going?"

"Just the usual, see you guys there," and Grissom and Sara left the guys not far behind.


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter 17

Forty five minutes later everyone else at the table was done, but Sara was still going strong. Greg's eyes looked like they were going to pop out of his head.

"I have never seen a woman who could out eat me, especially you Sara"

She was getting used to the comments and the stares and just shrugged in reply. Grissom checked his watch, leaned over to Sara and quietly said, "we have a meeting, remember, we need to go."

He grabbed the check and before any of the guys could protest he was already leaving the restaurant with Sara. Halfway there Sara received a message on her phone and suddenly became very quite, Gil was worried by this sudden change and asked, "Is everything alright?"

She just shrugged her shoulders and put her phone back in its case at her hip.

"It's fine, it's just since I'm the only one in the office all night they have been updating me with the list of passengers from the plane crash, that was just another update. Let's not talk about it right now ok."

He looked a little concerned but decided it was best to obey her wishes. The two of them showed up at the sheriff's office in less than 10 minutes and they were showed right in by the secretary.

The sheriff took a look at Grissom and sniffed the air, "nothing like the smell of decomp first thing in the morning, what can I do for you Gil?"

Grissom sat in one of the chairs in front of the desk and motioned for Sara to do the same, he could tell she was feeling a bit nervous, to tell the truth so was he.

"There's just no way to beat around the bush sheriff, Sara and I have been in a relationship for over a year and a half and we would like to get married."

This brought a shocked look to the man's face, he obviously did not know what to say. He regained his composure and began to open his mouth when Gil stopped him.

"Now, I know there is policy against boss subordinate relationships but I think Sara and I have proven we can work together and not disrupt the lab. Also I have talked it over with Catherine and she has agreed to let Sara work under her so she can remain on night shift."

"Sara will report to Catherine and not to me."

Grissom went to go on but the sheriff held a hand up to stop him, "It's obvious to me that you have put a lot of thought behind this, how long have you worked here Gil?"

Grissom looked over at Sara and then back at the sheriff, a slightly nervous look on his face, "over 16 years."

The sheriff smiled down at the two of them, "don't look so nervous you two, as far as I'm concerned you have proven you are capable of working together and my view is that rule as outdated. I will have to have the two of you sign liability waivers though, and I agree with the idea of Sara reporting to Catherine."

Grissom and Sara looked relieved when the sheriff looked at them, "I just have a couple of questions."

Grissom was a little nervous when he said "sure."

The sheriff looked at the two of them seriously, "what made you wait so long to tell me and why now?"

Sara was the one to speak this time, "I know you know Gil is a very private person, well, so am I. We wanted to take it slow and keep it a secret. The answer to the second question will become more evident in about five months" and she placed her hand on her stomach and looked over at Grissom, the both of them turning a little pink.

This really did surprise the sheriff, "Only one more question if I may" Sara felt a little stronger, "anything."

The sheriff raised his eyebrows and got an expectant look on his face, "My wife and I are invited to the wedding right?"

It was Grissom and Sara's turn to be surprised.

"Of course" Grissom said without hesitation.

"Very well then, I will be expecting those forms on my desk by the end of the week and an invitation to the wedding soon there after."

He rose from his seat motioning for them to do the same. He came out from behind his desk and shook Grissom's hand.

"I guess congratulations are in order" and he escorted the two of them out of his office.

They said their goodbyes and rounded the corner, running right into Ecklie. The balding man practically sneered at Grissom and turned to Sara asking with a knowing look on his face and an almost sickeningly sweet tone to his voice, "Sara, how are you, the baby alright?" looking like he was stabbing Grissom in the heart.

Grissom looked Ecklie in the eye and replied, "our baby is doing just fine, thanks for asking" and the two of them left the slack jawed jackass in their wake and laughed almost the entire way to the car.

Not long after they got into the car and were on their way home Sara asked, "Gil, can we stop by the hospital?"

Worried there may be something wrong he quickly looked over at her and then back at the road, "what for?"

It took Sara a moment to answer him, "I want to visit the little girl from the crash, I saw her come in when I was in the ER and I wanted to check up on her."

Sara was sure, with closer inspection, Grissom would recognize the little girl if she was indeed Heathers Granddaughter. She was afraid of what he may do. She had concern etched across her face and Grissom was a little worried about Sara but reluctantly agreed.

He turned the car and headed in the direction of the hospital. They were shown into the little girl's room, warned she was still not speaking to anyone. As soon as Grissom got a good look at the little girl, Sara's suspicions were confirmed.

He looked over at Sara with a question etched in his features, all she could say was "yes, Gil"

He quickly sat down and asked, "was Heather on the plane as well?"

Sara had just that morning gotten a look at the passenger list of the plane. She sat in the seat next to him and took his hand in hers.

"The passenger list confirmed a Mr. and Mrs. Jerome Kessler accompanied by one child. I investigated it a bit further and found out it was indeed Heather, I'm sorry Gil."

Sara traced a lone tear down his face with her eyes and then wiped the tear away with her hand. He looked up at her, "How long have you known?"

She removed her hand from his face and twisted it with the other in her lap, looking down at them she said, "I just found out this morning before the meeting with the sheriff. I wanted to tell you in private."

He abruptly stood and walked over to the little girl and looked down at her. He reached up with his hand and gently stroked her cheek. Sara's heart began to break, not only for Grissom, but for the little girl.

She had gone through so much already and Sara knew Gil was close to Heather. She felt jealous of the connection he had with the woman and although she knew he loved her, Sara was still worried about the tie that held the two of them together.

She could feel the tears spring from her eyes and didn't bother to stop them.

He looked over at her and took his place back at her side, "Sara, are you ok."

She just shook her head, fearing if she tried to speak it would only come out as a croak. Grissom was about to say something when his phone rang.

"Grissom"

"Hello, is this Dr. Gilbert Grissom" his ears perked up at hearing his full name, "yes this is Dr. Grissom."

Sara was curios about the phone call but hid it, opting to get up and take a closer look at the little girl sleeping in the bed. She tried to ignore the conversation he was having on the phone but it proved impossible when she heard his response to what the person on the other end of the line had said.

"What? Are you sure."

Sara moved back over to him and questioned him with a look, he just held up a hand and listened to the person on the phone eventually asking, "when is this supposed to happen? That soon?"

He looked over at Sara and she became both scared and confused.

"I can meet you later this morning, around noon. Would that be alright?" he looked over at Sara for confirmation but all she could do was shrug, she had no idea what the meeting was about.

He said his goodbye and disconnected the phone.

"What was that all about?" Sara asked a little anxiously.

Grissom just looked at her for a couple of minutes with a blank stare and Sara began to panic. He recognized the look on her face and gently forced her to sit down while thinking about how he was going to break this to her.

"Sara, I'm not sure how to say this."

She looked frightened, "Gil, honey , your scaring me, just say it."

He looked her straight in the eye and sputtered, "Heather and her husband Granted full custody of Ashley to me in the event of their death."


	30. Chapter 30

Sara didn't know what to say, she hasn't had time to process this yet, but she knew one thing, no matter where this little gir

Sara didn't know what to say, she hasn't had time to process this yet, but she knew one thing, no matter where this little girl came from, she had to look at her as a gift. She didn't want this little girl to grow up in the system, a ward of the court, and if she didn't except this child right now, she knew she would regret it the rest of her life.

"When is the meeting with the lawyer?"

She asked this so suddenly it took him by surprise, "12 o'clock, does this mean you are going to come with me?"

She got up from the table suddenly with a determined look, which scared him.

"We have a lot to do," was all she said as she headed back to their bedroom.

He followed her in and was surprised to see her getting dressed, "what are you doing?" she looked at him with a wry expression plastered on her face, "getting dressed, we need to go shopping."

He was confused, "shopping, for what?"

She didn't bother to answer him as she picked up the phone next to the bed and dialed. He began to ask her again when she held up her hand and talked into the phone, "nick hi, are you busy this evening? No. great. Can you meet me and Gil at our house around 5. Thanks a lot, I'll explain everything when you get here."

Gil listened to her finish the conversation with Nick and was about to repeat his question yet again when she hung up, but she thwarted him again by dialing the phone a second time.

"Hey Warrick, are you busy this afternoon about 5? I need your help with something; can you come over to my house? Great, see you then." She gave their address to him.

She called Greg, Catherine, David, Al, Danny, and just about the entire lab, asking them all to come over to their house at 5. He just looked at her like she was a mad woman and finally asked in a raised voice, "Sara! What are you doing?"

She just gave him a matter of fact look and said, "We have to get ready for Ashley, make her feel at home. We can't do it by ourselves this fast, so I'm going to ask the guys to help."

Grissom's jaw dropped, he wasn't expecting this. "Sara, you need to get some sleep, we have been up forever."

"Grissom, we need to get this house ready and besides, we both have the night off, remember."

She finished getting dressed, grabbed her purse and headed out the bedroom, calling behind her to a very confused Grissom,

"Are you coming?" he shook his head and trailed after her, when Sara mad up her mind to do something, nothing on God's green earth could stop her.

The first stop they made was at a baby store. The sheer size of the store was daunting but Sara tackled it with gusto. First they looked at beds, not knowing if the child still slept in a crib they decided to purchase one that grew with the child, the bed selection was huge but Sara fell in love with a white one with pink details on the side.

The bed came with a matching dresser, bookcase, and nightstand. Sara was really starting to enjoy herself when she came to the clothing department. Grissom was excepting the fact that his check card was going to get a workout today when they ended up leaving the clothing dept. with a basket full of everything from socks to dresses for the little girl.

Next they stopped by the accessories, Sara picked out a selection of accessories for the room including a lamp, sheets, blankets, pillows…everything a child could possibly need.

When Sara was done with her whirlwind of shopping they arranged everything to be rush delivered to their house at about 5 that evening. Grissom began to understand why she invited everyone over.

Their next stop was the hardware store, this confused the poor man until they entered the paint dept. Sara went up to the sales clerk and handed him a swatch of material Grissom didn't know she had gotten from the baby store.

She asked the man to match the color, grabbed Gils hand and headed towards the wood dept. Grissom's head was beginning to hurt.

"Sara, can we slow down please, I think I'm getting a headache."

She gave him a once over and decided he was probably right, she slowed her pace and apologized to the poor man next to her.

"I'm sorry sweetie, but we only have" she looked at her watch and her eyes grew wide, "an hour, sorry honey, we have to hurry."

Grissom just sighed as Sara quickened her pace once more. They ended up leaving the hardware store with another delivery set, but this one was set for 4 instead of 5.

"We need time to get things done before the furniture arrives" Sara explained to Grissom. Sara had no idea shopping could be so fun and she was having such a good time they barely made it to the lawyers in time.


	31. Chapter 31

Chapter 18

Sara just sat there in shock, _how can this be happening? _She thought to herself. Grissom looked at her with concern, "Sara? Sara honey, say something."

Almost in slow motion she looked into his face, she could see the worry etched across his features but she couldn't seem to get any words out. What was she supposed to say, was she supposed to welcome the grandchild of his ex-lover with open arms?

She looked over at the sleeping child. This child was a reminder of the only other person in the world that ever held a place in his heart. She was the embodiment of the woman Sara was still jealous of.

Could she open her heart to this child, knowing this. She felt for the child, she had had a tragic life so far and Sara knew she and Grissom could provide a good, loving home, but Sara was afraid she couldn't get passed the feelings Grissom held in his heart for Heather.

All this was happening too fast, the baby, the wedding, work, she was going into overload. She couldn't seem to function, finally she managed to say three words, "take me home."

She said it so quietly he almost didn't hear it. He shook his head in response and went to take her hand; she pulled it away from him and walked out of the room. He couldn't help but wonder what was going through her mind right now.

"Sara honey, please say something, anything."

She responded too quickly, too harshly, "No Gil, just take me home. I need to get some sleep."

He knew this was not a request, but a demand and he silently walked her to the car and drove her home.

_What was Heather thinking? Why would she will her granddaughter to me? What did she think would happen? She knew I was in a fledgling relationship with Sara. She knew how long it took me to finally acknowledge my feelings to Sara, and how much I love her. _

So many questions were running through his mind he couldn't seem to pin one down to answer them, any of them. He looked over at Sara, she was leaning her head against the back of the car seat, but he could tell she wasn't sleeping.

What was she thinking, he wondered to himself. How was he going to fix this? He pulled up to the house and had barely stopped the car when she got out and headed to the front door.

She went inside without a backwards glance and closed the door behind her, not caring if he was behind her or not. She needed time to think, to process all that had happened. She went into the bathroom and started the shower.

She was on autopilot, and she couldn't control her own actions. She stepped under the hot spray of the shower, hoping to dispel some of the tension threatening to overwhelm her when she began to cry.

She cried for herself, for their relationship, for the little girl, for the sadness in his eyes when he learned Heather was dead and she wondered to herself how much he loved her. Was his love for her equal to the love he held in his heart for Sara, or was the love he held for her stronger?

These questions coursed through her as she went through the motions of washing. When she was done she reached down and turned off the shower and stood there for a minute, she could feel the water on her skin begin to cool and felt herself shiver with it, at least she could still feel.

When she got out of the shower she was surprised to see Grissom standing in front of her holding a towel. She looked into his eyes and saw the love he had for her displayed in their deep blue depths and she began to cry again as he enfolded her in both the towel and his arms.

He let her cry in his arms. There wasn't much else he could do. The sobs began to ebb and eventually stopped, he kissed her on the forehead, looked at her face and managed to overcome the knot tied in his throat, "I made you some breakfast, come and eat. Then you can get some sleep."

She nodded her head in response, not trusting her voice right now. He helped her dry off and dress, then held her close while they walked to the kitchen. She looked at the table and wondered just how long she had been in the shower.

Lying on the table was an assortment of food; fruit salad, pancakes, sausage (tofu of course), eggs, orange juice, all of her favorites. She looked at him, this man really does love me, she thought.

He settled her into a chair and began filling her plate. She didn't think she could eat much, but she surprised even herself. He sat in the chair next to her and they enjoyed breakfast together.

She was just placing the last bite off her plate into her mouth when he began to speak, "Sara, I know things are going fast, too fast, I feel it too, but we need to discuss this."

She placed her fork on the table and while she chewed her last bite she formulated her thoughts. He could tell she was thinking and let her take her time.

"Gil, I love you, and I want us to be a family, I can't say things aren't getting complicated with all that is going on.

We have overcome a lot in the last two years and we still have a lot more to overcome. I'm worried, about us, about our baby" she placed her hand on her stomach, "about our life together and all the changes that are happening around us, I don't know what to do, what to say, how to act."

She stopped talking and looked at him, she saw the worry she held reflected in his eyes,

"I'm worried too, but there is one thing we are going to have to tackle right now. I called the hospital while you were in the shower and they said Ashley can be released right now, but she has no where to go. I am going to be meeting the lawyer this afternoon and I need to know you are ok with this, and if you don't want to go I understand, but I need you. I want the both of us to be there."


	32. Chapter 32

Chapter 19

Both Sara and Grissom looked at the lawyer slack jawed, they couldn't seem to process what the man had just said. Apparently Heather and Jerome thought a great deal about what was to happen to their little girl in the event of their death.

Grissom looked at the lawyer and asked, "can you repeat that for me one more time?"

The lawyer smiled and repeated what he had originally said, "The Kessler's want you to have full custody of Ashley on one condition, you have to be married within two weeks to a one Sara Sidle."

"Following the marriage the two of you will be gifted a sum of one million dollars for yourselves. Once all adoption papers are finalized and the child's name is officially changed to Grissom she will be eligible to receive the rest of the estate, estimated at 8.2 million dollars."

Sara and Grissom exchanged looks, they were shocked. Grissom looked at the lawyer, "what if we can't get married within the allotted time frame?"

The lawyer looked over his papers, "the child will only be released to your custody on the promise of marriage, if you do not fulfill this obligation the child will be removed and placed in foster care."

Grissom and Sara were stunned. Sara had no idea Heather knew about her and Grissom, and she never fathomed the woman would feel so strong about them marrying. She looked over at Grissom, "I don't care about the money Gil, but we can't let that little girl down."

Grissom understood what Sara meant; he knew the conditions of her childhood and knew this was important to her.

"I guess we need to organize a wedding, a quick wedding. Good thing we live in a city that makes that easy." He looked over at Sara, she nodded her head and a lone tear slid down her cheek.

They were going to have a lot to do in the next two weeks Grissom thought as he looked back at the lawyer, "where do we sign."

Apparently the paperwork was already made in both their names and they were instructed they were going to have to come back after the wedding to finalize everything, but they had temporary custody of the child so they could pick her up and take her home.

Grissom and Sara left the office of the lawyer and headed to the grocery store, they had a mess of people coming over to their house and they needed to feed them.

Grissom looked over at Sara, "I guess this is going to count as our housewarming party, huh."

She looked back at him over the basket, "I guess so. Too bad we have to make them work" she said with a sheepish look.

She thought back to when they first started looking at homes. They put a lot of thought into the purchase of this place, taking into consideration the chance of children and needing the room to grow.

The house had a total of five bedrooms, two dens, a family room, living room, dining room, a large kitchen, and a finished basement. The bedrooms were all located on the third floor, only one of them being taken up at the moment.

Two of them had been turned into guest bedrooms and the other two were unoccupied and empty, a blank slate. The two dens were located on the first floor along with the rest of the living space.

One was Sara's space and the other was Grissom's. In both offices two of the walls were lined with bookshelves and full to the brim. In Grissom's office the books that dominated the walls all pertained to insects and entomology research and in Sara's office books about physics dominated.

Down in the finished basement they had started converting it into a space the two of them could work on cases while they were home. The space almost looked like a replica of Grissom's office and the two were constantly adding to its eclectic look.

Instead of pictures and paintings, dominating every wall of the house in every room were framed butterflies. Grissom had a wide variety of them when they first got together, but they increased his collection almost on a daily basis.

"I'm glad we decided to purchase a house we could grow in. Neither of our apartments would have been sufficient."

He emphatically agreed as he reached into the cooler and grabbed a large package of hamburger patties. Sara stared at him for a moment, "I guess they won't eat tofu burgers huh."

Grissom suppressed a laugh and smiled, "Not in a million years" he replied as he reached over and grabbed a stack of steaks to accompany the burgers.

Sara knew he was taking advantage of the situation and was going to gorge himself on meat this evening but decided he deserved it. They left yet another store that day, but this time they were taking the groceries home themselves.

It was about 2 o'clock when they finally made it home and got the groceries put away; the both of them were dead on their feet and decided to take a nap before all the commotion began that evening.

It was at 4:30 when Sara woke up to a knock on the door and looked over at the clock. She jumped out of bed and shook Grissom, "Gil, get up. The guys are going to be here in half an hour and I think the hardware delivery is at the door we need to get ready."

Grissom just looked at her for a second, where did she get all this energy? She ran to the dresser and pulled out a fresh set of cloths, "just a sec." she yelled out, advising Grissom to get dressed as well.

He was just getting out of bed when she rushed out of the room, "where are you going?"

She just yelled over her shoulder, "I have to get the door and everything put out for the guys."

"If you wait a minute, I'll help you. Don't lift anything." He said as an afterthought.

She stuck her head back in the door, "ok, I won't, but hurry up will you" and she rushed back out the door.

He sighed, finished getting dressed and headed out to the kitchen to help her.

"I need you to direct the delivery men to Ashley's room and get started on the paint please" she said when she saw him.

He turned on his heal and headed to the little girls room to do as he was told.

She was just setting out the last of the snacks when the doorbell rang for the second time that day.

"I'll get it" Sara yelled as she headed towards the door with a smile on her face.

She opened the door and Greeted Nick and Warrick.

"Hey guys, thanks for coming over."

The guys both gave her a hug, "hey Sar, this house is amazing," Nick said in awe.

"Yeah Sar, I'm jealous." Warrick chimed in.

"Just home sweet home, Gil's in the second bedroom at the top of the stairs." she said, pointing them in the right direction.


	33. Chapter 33

She began to close the door when she saw Catherine drive up

She began to close the door when she saw Catherine drive up. In about the span of ten minutes the house was buzzing with activity.

Grissom made his way downstairs and into the living room, covered in paint and followed by Nick and Warrick.

He got everyone's attention and the room fell silent.

"We asked you guys to come over for a very special reason, we need some help."

He looked over at Sara, indicating for her to take over the conversation.

"I'm sure you all know about the lone survivor of the plane crash by now."

Every one nodded their heads in acknowledgement, "well, it turns out that little girl was the granddaughter of Heather Kessler and by her wishes, Grissom and I have been chosen to be her guardians."

The room was dead silent, the crew always knew Lady Heather was close to Grissom, but they had no idea the woman had a granddaughter or that that was the identity of the little girl.

Catherine was the first to speak, "what exactly is it you need from us?" this seemed to be the consensus of the whole group as heads nodded in agreement with the question.

Grissom was just about to answer when the doorbell rang again, "that, my friends, is the answer to your question" and he headed for the front door.

Waiting on the other side was the delivery truck filled to the brim with everything the two of them had purchased this morning. He signed the paperwork and faced the people gathered in the entrance of the house.

"We need help with this," and he motioned to the truck.

"What is it Gil?" Al asked this question.

Grissom just looked at him and summed his answer up in one word, "everything."

The group came out of the house just as the delivery men opened the back of the truck and they were dumbstruck with its contents. Without asking they began to tackle the contents of the truck in the same manner they would a case.

They each picked a job and did it. Warwick, Nick, Greg and the rest of the lab boys all began unloading the truck, Nick went right up to Sara with the first box, "where do you want this Sara."

She guided them up to the bedroom that would soon belong to Ashley. Nick walked in and surveyed the room, it was large with a window seat. It smelled of fresh paint and right now seemed empty, but he knew that would soon change.

As the boys brought in all the furniture, boxes and other things Catherine and the girls began to sort through all the clothes with Sara. As each piece of furniture was assembled and placed in its home the women took over and made the room suitable for Ashley.

Once the room was put together they all surveyed their work. Set in one corner of the room was the bed, covered in a soft pink and white bedding set, hanging over the bed was a net with butterflies imprinted on it.

Next to the bed was a matching dresser, full of everything a little girl may need. On the opposite wall of the bedroom was a set of bookcases, filled with a variety of books, toys, and stuffed animals.

Set in the middle of the room was a small table and chairs, just the right size for a toddler.

Sara looked at all they had accomplished and sniffled lightly, asking the room in general, "do you think she would like it."

Catherine was the one to answer, "if she doesn't, can I move in."

The group laughed and all agreed with Cath. Ashley was going to feel more than welcome in this house.

Grissom turned around and looked at his extended family, "whose hungry, I happen to have a fridge full of meat and Sara says it has to be gone before the night is over."

Sara turned around just in time to see the retreating backs of every male in the house.

She looked over at Cath, "men, say the word meat and they come running."

Cath had to agree with this statement and shrugged her shoulders, "is there anything you need help with?"

They headed down stairs and for the first time Sara felt a connection with Cath she had never felt before. The rest of the evening passed with good food, conversation, and the company of good friends.

Just as the evening was about to wind down Grissom stood up and announced, "Sara and I have one more favor to ask of you," Greg interrupted, "if you feed me like this I'll do whatever you want."

Laughter erupted around the room and Grissom replied, "I'll keep that in mind, but for now, Sara and I have to be married within the next 14 days and we have a lot of preparation to do. We are going to need help from all of you to get it done. We have the place picked out but not much more."

The crew all agreed to lend a helping hand and took another hour to split the planning.

Grissom glanced at his watch, "you guys better get to work, it's 10:30. You don't want to be late."

Greg asked, "what about you guys?"

Grissom glanced down at Sara, "we happen to both have the day off so, good night" and he ushered them all out of the house.

The two of them barely managed to get changed into pajamas and into bed before they fell asleep. There was so much they still had to do, but they were too exhausted to give it much thought.


	34. Chapter 34

Chapter 20

Grissom was the first to wake the next morning and carefully extracted himself from Sara. He went into the bathroom, started the shower and stepped under the spray. He let the water wash all the stress from the last few days away.

He was just about to reach up and grab the shampoo when the door to the shower opened and Sara walked in. He couldn't help but think of how stunning she looked, her stomach was slightly rounded and he could tell she was carrying.

She smiled at his inspection and asked, "did you sleep well?" as she reached for the shampoo and started to scrub his hair.

He closed his eyes and enjoyed Sara's touch, it was almost erotic the way she massaged his scalp and all he could say in response was a low, "Hmmm"

She smiled at his reaction to her touch.

"What time are we going to the hospital?" she asked as she rinsed the shampoo out of his hair and grabbed the soap before starting to wash his body. She started at his shoulders and slowly worked her way down, leaving a trail of suds in the wake of her hands.

He was having a hard time concentrating on what she was saying. After a moment of concentration he finally managed to answer, "Ashley is due to be discharged at 11" she leaned down and scrubbed his legs.

She stood back up and looking him in the eye she attended to the only body part she had left neglected. She encircled him and began a slow assault with her hands, gently rubbing, making sure she touched every inch.

He closed his eyes and leaned his head back, erupting in a low growl. He let her bring him to the edge of insanity and deciding he couldn't take it anymore captured her mouth with his own and gently pinned her against the wall of the shower.

He stifled the gasp his sudden movement elicited from her by covering her lips with his own. His tongue touched her bottom lip imploring entry and she allowed him access while she gripped his shoulders and drew him even closer.

He reached a hand down and felt the heat of her desire pooling at her center. She moaned as he began to massage the sensitive nub of skin. Just as she was about to reach the apex of desire he lifted her against the wall, she encircled her legs around his waist as he entered her with a hurried thrust.

There was no gentleness this time, they both felt the need to move, to let the moment overwhelm them and let wild abandon overtake them. They quickened their pace and she could feel his growing need for release.

He drove her closer to the edge as he thrust into her faster and faster until she thought she would be consumed by the fire. He claimed her lips as he thrust one last deep time into her, allowing both of them to fall over the chasm of sanity and into one of pure pleasure.

He gently moved her legs down but continued to hold her against the wall, unwilling to let the moment end just yet. She kissed him deeply trying to regain some strength as he reached for the soap.

He allowed just enough space between the two of them to wash her as thoroughly as she had just washed him. He brought her to a climax once more before ending the shower. They each took turns drying the other off before getting dressed and heading down for breakfast.

"What do you want for breakfast?" Grissom asked as he began to head downstairs, looking behind him he discovered Sara was not following him.

She had headed down the hall and was standing in front of what was soon to be Ashley's room. Sara had hung a sign with the little girls name on the door, it was in the shape of a butterfly, the background was painted pink and the writing was calligraphy painted in white.

Grissom had to admit the room must be the dream of every little girl. His thoughts were interrupted when Sara asked, "do you think she will like it?"

He looked over at her and saw the worry etched on her face, "I think she will love it."

"She needs some clothes to come home in, can you help me pick something out."

He found the idea of picking out an outfit for the little girl a bit daunting and answered a little hesitantly, "sure."

They spent almost ten minutes trying to narrow the choices down, finally deciding to bring three outfits and letting Ashley pick out the one she liked the most. Grissom headed down to make breakfast as Sara finished putting together a bag for Ashley.

She couldn't help but dwell on all the events that led to this moment. She was still worried about making a good mother and the thought of having to raise one was scary enough, but she was going to have to raise two.

One of which was already a toddler. Thoughts of her mother drifted back to her. She was, for the most part, a good mother. She didn't coddle Sara, but she didn't ignore her either. Sara never had to feel the brunt of her father's beatings, though she did have to witness them on occasion and when her mother murdered her father in front of her, her life changed forever.

The beatings were no longer there but neither were her parents. She remembered being shuttled from foster home to foster home and shuddered at the thought. She wasn't confident about being a mother but she couldn't let that poor girl lose her mother and her grandparents in such brutal ways and then be shuffled around the system as she had been.

She let out a heavy sigh at the thoughts coursing through her head and was slightly startled when she heard, "penny for your thoughts" from behind her. She turned around and saw the concern she held mirrored in his eyes.

"I was just thinking about how our lives are going to change."

"Pretty heavy subject" he replied as he came up to her and wrapped her in his embrace.

"I know."

"I called you down for breakfast, but I guess you didn't hear me."

"Sorry" she shook her head and focused back on the here and now. "What's for breakfast?"

"Your favorite, blueberry waffles. Better hurry before I eat them all myself" he turned around and headed back down to the kitchen.

Sara's stomach began to rumble and her mouth began to water with the anticipation of Grissom's famous blueberry waffles. She grabbed the bag and followed him down the stairs to have some.

They left the house at about 8:30. During breakfast Sara realized that they needed to get a car seat for Ashley. It took them almost an hour to choose one, finally taking the recommendation of the sales clerk on which brand they should choose.

They finally made it to the hospital about ten and when they entered Ashley's room discovered the little girl was awake and alert. The two of them came up to the bed not sure what to expect.

The little girl looked up at them with curiosity as the nurse came in with the release papers. Sara asked in a lowered voice, "how long has she been awake?"

The nurse responded in a voice that was just as low as hers, "she woke up about an hour ago" she looked at both of them and motioned for them to follow her outside the room.

Curios, the two of them followed and as soon as they were on the other side of the door the nurse continued, "she doesn't remember anything about the accident and has been content. The doctor came in and examined her, he saw no evidence of a concussion and surmises the memory lapse to shock. He is unsure if she will ever remember the event due to her young age. He will be in shortly to discuss it with you."

Sara helped Ashley get dressed while they waited for the doctor to come in. Grissom sat and watched the two of them. Besides the outfits Sara insisted they bring she also brought some small toys and a couple of books, which seemed to delight Ashley.

The two of them sat playing on the bed and Grissom couldn't help but smile and think that Sara was a natural. They had just settled down to a book when the doctor came in, Sara looked up at Grissom and gave him the go ahead to talk to the doctor without her.

He would fill her in later.

It was about noon when they were all set to leave the hospital when Ashley spoke to them for the first time, "hungy" was all she said. Sara and Grissom looked at each other, not quite understanding what it was the girl had said.

Sara looked at her and asked, "what sweetie?" all she got in response was another "hungy." Sara finally understood and looked up at Gil. "she's hungry" he took her out of Sara's arms and asked, "your hungry?"

Ashley just nodded her head enthusiastically. "I guess we better get something to eat then, huh?" Ashley nodded her head again, making her hair bob. Grissom and Sara smiled at each other as they headed to the car.


	35. Chapter 35

Chapter 21

Grissom decided to take them to the butterfly deli for lunch and Sara agreed with the idea. Ashley loved all the butterflies and Grissom and Sara found out the child was definitely not a picky eater, though she was a bit messy.

Marge loved the little girl and enveloped her in a hug that far outweighed the ones she gave them. While they were at lunch they discussed what arrangements they were going to have to make.

Sara volunteered, "I can talk to Catherine later tonight to see if I can get the name of the service she uses for Lindsey, but for now I think it would be for the best if we let Ashley get used to us."

Grissom looked at her with a contemplative look, he was about to ask a question when Sara stopped him, "I can stay home until we can find someone. You're the boss and they need you there. It's not like I'm really helpful anyway being stuffed in the lab all night. I can even do some paperwork at home to keep me busy."

"I guess that would be alright, but this is going to have to be short term."

Grissom was interrupted by Ashley, "I'm sleepy" and she punctuated this with a wide yawn.

They decided it was time to take her home and get her acquainted with her new room. By the time they got to the house Ashley had fallen asleep in her seat, Grissom carefully removed the child and took her into the house closely followed by Sara.

He placed her on her bed and the two of them stood there admiring the little girl.

"Gil, you need to get some rest before you have to go to work."

He nodded in agreement and went to the bedroom. Sara headed downstairs to take care of some arrangements for the wedding. There was so much that still needed to be done. She took care of a couple things for work before she tackled the wedding issues.

She was just settling into her plans when she heard crying emanating from upstairs. She quickly climbed the stairs and found Ashley sitting on the top step, holding one of the stuffed animals from her room.

Sara picked her up and headed to her room, rubbing her back gently and speaking softly, "it's ok, baby" Ashley started to calm down almost immediately, "how about a snack?" Sara asked the now very awake little girl.

Ashley just nodded her head in agreement still holding on tight to the bear. Sara put her down on the floor and held her hand while they went down the stairs. Ashley was capable of climbing the stairs on her own but Sara was still worried she may fall and mentally made a note to purchase a gate for the stairs.

By the end of an hour Sara's list for purchases had grown considerably to include locks for all the cabinets, sippy cups, a set of small utensils, a highchair, and several other items necessary when children are present in the home.

She decided now was as good a time as any to go and get these items, she needed to stop and purchase some items for the wedding and some other chores that had gone neglected for the last week needed taking care of as well.

Grissom had just settled into bed when the door quietly opened and Sara poked her head in. She must have assumed he was asleep because she looked down at the little girl next to her and held a finger against her lips.

She headed towards the closet and had her back turned to him and the child. He leaned over and silently got the attention of the little girl. Ashley climbed up on the bed and began to jump on it like it was a trampoline eliciting a giggle from the girl and an "ooph" from Grissom.

This in turn caused Sara to turn around. Grissom reached over grabbed Ashley, lifted her shirt and gave her a raspberry on her stomach. The little girl emitted an ear splitting squeal and Grissom was enthralled with the sound.

This little girl was quickly becoming the apple of his eye and they have only had her for a day. He was already wrapped around the little girl's finger. Sara explained the reason she was in the room and apologized for waking him up.

Sara reached over to grab Ashley and before she did Grissom gave the girl one last tickle. She gave a giggle and Sara gave a little laugh herself. He watched the two of them leave the room and not for the first time thought about the changes that had occurred over the last week.

His and Sara's lives were changing on a daily basis and he was becoming a little stressed. Work wasn't going to be any better; he was down a very qualified CSI after all. All he could hope for was that the criminals of Las Vegas wouldn't be too active.

She didn't want to leave Ashley on her own so she tried to quietly go into hers and Grissom's room to collect the dry cleaning. This proved to be a bad idea when she heard Ashley giggle behind her and an "ooph" coming from the bed.

Apparently Ashley had decided to climb the bed and use it as a jumper. She turned around just in time to see Grissom grab the girl, pull her shirt up and give her a raspberry on her stomach.

This elicited delighted squeals of laughter from Ashley. Sara looked at the two of them and when Grissom looked up at her she saw the look of love he already seemed to carry for the little girl. She quickly apologized for waking him up.

"I was just grabbing the dry-cleaning. Ashley and I are going to go run some errands. Is there anything you need at the store?"

"I'm fine, don't do too much ok."

Sara agreed and before she could remove Ashley from the bed Grissom gave her one last tickle. Sara couldn't help but laugh at the giggle he got from her. So far things seemed to be going well.

Sara first stopped at the dry cleaner and dropped off hers and Grissom's clothes. She decided it was probably for the best to get the shopping for the little girl done first, she stopped at the baby store they had purchased the furniture to get the items she needed to safety proof the house.

Half an hour later Ashley was indicating boredom and was becoming slightly fussy. The sales clerk recommended a stroller to go along with the other items and they were kind enough to assemble it for her there in the store. Once Sara had the little girl in the stroller and had given her a toy from the travel bag she made they were able to finish the shopping.

Sara decided to stop off at the toy store and see what kind of toys the child might like and discovered a whole new side of the child. Sara ended up leaving the store with much more than she had originally bargained for.

They stopped at a couple of other places before they got to the grocery store and by this time Ashley seemed to be at the end of her rope. She was cranky, but Sara needed to pick something up for dinner so she had no choice but to deal with the upset child.

She managed to get what she needed and get out of the store by bribing the child with some cookies. Sara was exhausted by the time they got home and Ashley had thankfully fallen asleep during the car ride from the last stop. Sara guessed the little tike must have needed a longer nap.

She brought the little girl into the house and found Grissom sitting at the breakfast bar drinking a cup of coffee. He looked up at Sara and saw the fatigue of the day play on her face as she made her way to him.

He got up and removed the sleeping child from her arms and started heading towards her room when Sara stopped him, "put her on the couch, I want to install the gate I purchased for the stairs before we put her in her room again."

Grissom looked at the stairs, he never thought before then how dangerous they could be , he did as Sara asked and saw her head back out to the car, he quickly but gently placed Ashley on the couch and stopped her progress.

"You look dead on your feet. Let me get the stuff from the car."

Sara nodded and headed into the living room to join Ashley. Grissom had no idea what he was getting himself into until he got to the car. It was filled to the brim and took him six trips to get everything, he put the groceries away first and then went to check on Sara and Ashley.

When he entered the living room he stopped short. On the couch in front of him lay Sara and Ashley wrapped in each others arms fast asleep. He stood there for a moment enjoying the sight in front of him.

His family, this thought knocked the wind out of him and his heart felt like it would burst with the emotions running through it. He sat on the recliner across from the couch and looked at the two most important people in his life, enjoying the moment so much he didn't notice his eyes begin to close and he fell asleep.

The last sight being that of Sara holding Ashley.


	36. Chapter 36

Chapter 22

Grissom woke to a strange noise in the house. It almost sounded like a drill. He listened harder and heard it again, yes that was a drill. That explained the dream he was having.

He got up rubbing his eyes and headed towards the noise. He reached the bottom of the stairs and looked up. Sara was just finishing installing a gate at the top of the stairs and right in front of him was a second gate already installed. Sara was testing the gate when he asked "how was your nap"

"Great, I feel refreshed. I'm sorry if I woke you."

She inspected the gate by opening and closing it a couple of times making sure she had installed it properly. Ashley came up behind her and grabbed a couple of the bars of the gate rattling it a little, further testing its stability.

Grissom had to admit one of the things that attracted him the most to Sara was her independence. He looked up at her, "I'm a little hungry, do you want me to start dinner?"

Sara was about to answer when Ashley spoke up, "yummy." Sara looked down at the girl and then back up at Grissom smiling, "That sounds great, I was thinking spaghetti, can you start the sauce?"

"Sure," he replied and noticed Sara suppress a smirk before he headed into the kitchen.

He took the ingredients out of the pantry and went to get the saucepan. He pulled on the cupboard but it refused to open more than an inch, "what the hell?" he mumbled to himself.

He inspected the cupboard and saw some kind of contraption just inside the door. He was having trouble trying to find out how to get the thing opened when he was startled by Sara behind him, "having problems?"

She let out a small chuckle when she saw him flinch in surprise. He looked at her with a snide expression on his face, "what did you do to the cupboards?" while pulling on them one more time to test the lock again.

She walked up to the cupboard and showed him how to disengage the lock, trying not to laugh. He grabbed the saucepan out and closed the door. He put the saucepan on the stove and went to turn the burner on but came across yet another obstacle.

There were little plastic things covering the knobs. He stopped short and began to give the kitchen a thorough inspection, noting small changes here and there. He noticed there was a lock on not only the lower cupboards and the stove but on the oven door, the refrigerator, and when he attempted to open a drawer he came across another anti entry device.

Sara had put their kitchen under lockdown while he was sleeping! He finally looked over at her and noticed the wide grin playing across her face. He lifted an eyebrow at her and commented, "You were busy, mind telling me why you went to such extremes?" She just continued to smile as he noticed Ashley wander into the kitchen.

The little girl first went to the drawers, trying to open them saying "spoon".

Sara looked down at her shaking her head and replying, "no spoon."

Not to be deterred he then witnessed the child walk over to the cupboard he had just gotten the saucepan out of, "bang" she said as she looked up at Sara.

Once again Sara looked at Ashley, only this time saying, "no bang."

Grissom watched the child test every single contraption Sara had installed saying "wash" when she got to the dishwasher, "cook" when she attempted the oven and stove and "drink" when she tried the refrigerator.

Each time the child was told no by Sara except for the last time. When the little girl said "drink" Sara went to the cupboard above the counter that held dishes and retrieved a strange looking cup, she went to put some water in it and he heard a "no" from Ashley as she shook her head and patted the door to the fridge.

"Ok, but only a little" Sara replied and unlocked the fridge, retrieved the apple juice and poured some into the cup. She secured the lid on the cup and handed it to Ashley. The little girl took a sip from the cup and threw it onto the floor.

Grissom looked up at Sara, and a new appreciation for her overcame him. It seemed to have taken Sara very little time to adjust to Ashley and she seemed to understand the child with very little communication.

"How?" was the only thing he could manage to say. Sara understood what he was asking and went into the events following his first nap that day.

After Sara and Ashley made their way down for their snack, Ashley had proceeded to single handedly destroy the kitchen. It took Ashley only 10 minutes, but it took Sara almost an hour to clean everything up.

By the time Sara was done with her tale Grissom was laughing.

"I'm glad you think that's so funny." She got an evil look on her face.

"You might want to apologize before you find you need to get to the toilet paper under the sink in the bathroom, I installed sturdier locks on those and the cupboards under the sink in here because of the chemicals."

This got his attention and he immediately apologized, turned around and began making the sauce once more, only this time he was able to get to everything he needed, with Sara's help that is.

Ashley punctuated the moment by picking up her cup taking a sip and throwing the cup back on the floor, apparently this did not have the desired effect because she left the cup there and headed out of the kitchen.

Grissom watched her leave and directed a questioning stare at Sara.

"It's not as much fun when it doesn't go splash." She said and made a splashing gesture with her hands.

"oh" he said with raised eyebrows and a smirk on his face. Sara left him to make the sauce and joined Ashley in the living room.

Sara set the table while Gil finished preparing the spaghetti and a salad. Dinner was an entirely different affair than lunch.

Grissom and Sara were meshing over some of the details of the wedding when Gil was smacked in the side of the face with a handful of noodles, Ashley was giggling in her chair and Sara was trying hard to suppress her laughter at the shocked look on his face.

Almost in slow motion he reached up to his face and picked off the few noodles that hadn't made their way down his shirt and into his lap. By this time Sara was in full blown giggles along with Ashley.

She didn't see him grab a forkful of pasta until it was too late. She gasped when the noodles hit her in the face and this time it was Gil's turn to laugh. Between making her own mess and watching the two "adults" in the house Ashley was having a ball.

By the time dinner activities were done and the three had managed to stifle most of the laughter, Grissom and Sara looked around the dining room assessing the damage.

"I'm glad we put in hardwood flooring." Grissom commented.

Sara nodded her head in agreement still smiling she asked, "divide and conquer?" He agreed, and without words they each took a task.

Sara grabbed Ashley and headed up to the shower while Grissom started cleaning the dining room, thinking he had the easier task. This was the first time Sara had ever attempted to give a child a bath and was unsure on how to go about doing it.

She started the tap, making sure the water wasn't too hot and then undressed Ashley and placed her in the tub. It was about 20 minutes later that Grissom entered the bathroom, and both of them started laughing again.

Grissom still had some fragments of dinner in his hair and Sara was soaking wet from giving Ashley her bath. The two of them couldn't remember the last time they had laughed this much.

Sara managed to stop laughing long enough to ask him, "give me a towel will you?"

He grabbed a clean one out of the linen closet and handed it to her. Sara removed Ashley from the tub and took her into her room, Grissom wasn't far behind. While she dried the little girl off Grissom retrieved some jimmies from the dresser along with one of the smallest pairs of underwear he had ever seen and handed them to Sara.

Grissom stood to the side and watched Sara dress the little girl. He knew Sara could adjust to anything but she was an amazing woman for opening her arms to a child that wasn't hers. Not to mention the fact that this was the granddaughter of Heather Kessler, the one subject that remained a thorn in the sides of their relationship.

While Sara was out shopping that afternoon he had called and finalized the arrangements for the funeral. He was having a hard time telling Sara what he had done and was worried she might take it the wrong way.

He was going to have to trust in the strength of their relationship. He decided he would tell her tonight after Ashley was asleep. Sara noticed the contemplative look on Grissom's face and knew he was mulling something serious over in his mind.

She secured the last snap on Ashley's jammies and then tickled her on the tummy. Ashley giggled and this seemed to yank him out of his thoughts. He squatted in front of her and asked, "how about a story?"

Ashley's eyes lit up and she ran over to the bookshelf. She looked at several books before finally deciding on one that was in the shape of a ladybug, she said "bug" and Sara could see the grin spread across Grissom's face as he sat on the floor.

Ashley came up to him and crawled on his lap and after a brief moment of shock he began to read to her. The whole scene was surreal to Sara, up until this moment she had to admit she was worried how he was going to take to fatherhood but he jumped into it with both feet.

She was mildly surprised and delighted at this fact but she knew he was never one to go into something halfway, he was an all or nothing kind of person and she loved him for that.


	37. Chapter 37

Chapter 23

Chapter 23

Sara quietly tiptoed out of Ashley's room, leaving the door open a bit so she could hear the sleeping child if she woke up. She then went in search of Grissom. She finally found him in his den working on a timeline for one of the cases at work.

She stood in the doorway and watched as he meticulously pinned fly after fly on the board, carefully measuring and logging the data for each of them. She could tell he was completely engrossed in what he was doing but had the feeling he wanted to talk to her when they were in with Ashley and felt it necessary to interrupt him.

She took a small step into the room which alerted him to her presence, "she asleep?" he asked while pinning one last fly onto the board.

"Yeah, she had a busy day." She had an idea of what he wanted to talk about and decided she was going to have to give him a push. Grissom was not known for giving information voluntarily.

"She's been through a lot in the last week. I just hope she's young enough to forget."

Grissom stiffened slightly at those words and looked up at her over his glasses, 'forget what' he wondered. He didn't want the little girl to forget her mother, or her grandparents. Is that what Sara was speaking of or was it the accident itself.

Sara could tell he was mulling things over, but she was still uncertain as to what he wanted. She decided to be blunt, that was really the only way to get past the issue that hung in the air all evening like an undercurrent waiting to grab them by the ankles and drag them under the water to their death.

"Gil, I know you want to talk about something. Please, just say it" His shoulders slumped slightly, whatever it was he needed to get out it was obvious he was not looking forward to it. That much she could tell as he took a seat on the couch, patting the space next to him.

Sara walked over, took a seat and placed her hand on his leg, silently pressing him to go on. It took him a minute to speak, "when I got up this afternoon and you weren't home I made some phone calls. The first one was to Al," here it comes Sara thought to herself.

"The bodies of Heather and her husband are ready to be released and apparently, they had no other living relatives besides Ashley."

"Sweetie, we already knew this from the lawyer."

"I know, but there's more…" he paused, not knowing how to say it.

"Gil sweetie, what is it." Sara practically pleaded. What could he know that the lawyer had not said to them already?

"I arranged a funeral for the two of them today. That was one of the other calls I made."

His voice cracked a little as he said this. Sara knew this was devastating to him but her heart was breaking knowing he must have had strong feelings for the woman. She knew the woman was dead but she also knew she would always have a special place in his heart.

He placed his hand on hers. She gently squeezed it knowing he needed the reassurance. She witnessed him swallow some of the sorrow to say what he really wanted to tell her, he took off his glasses and ran his hand over his face.

"I can't say goodbye Sara, I can't."

She witnessed a lone tear trail down his cheek and enveloped him in her arms, letting him weep. Tears fell down her own face, but for a different reason. She knew Gil loved her more than anything else in the world, but his connection with Heather was so strong it hurt her to think of it. As irrational as it seems, she was jealous of a dead person.


	38. Chapter 38

Suppressing her own sorrow she rubbed his back lightly, not knowing what she should do

Suppressing her own sorrow she rubbed his back lightly, not knowing what she should do. She knew one thing though, in order for them to move on with their lives he was going to have to say goodbye, for himself, for her, for Ashley, and for their unborn child.

Sara leaned back on the couch and Grissom placed his head on her lap. They sat there for a while, Sara playing with the curls on the nap of his neck, calming him and making him know she was there for him and that she loved him although every ounce of her ached for him and for the turmoil in their lives.

"Gil, honey?" he knew she was asking if he was alright and he looked up into her eyes, they were full of worry and something else, was that fear. He wrapped his hand around the back of her neck and pulled her down for a kiss.

"I love you Sara." He could feel her begin to relax.

"I love you too" she returned and he felt measurably better, though he was still worried.

She kissed him again, only deeper this time, expressing all the love she felt for him in that kiss. They only ended the kiss when the need for oxygen overcame them. Sara lifted her head and smiled down at him, the look of love on his face was all she needed to calm the panic threatening to overtake her.

Sara smiled, "I would kiss you again, but I seem to have lost my ability to bend at the middle." Grissom grinned, some of the sorrow gone in his deep blue eyes and sat up next to her.

He placed his hand on her slightly rounded stomach, marveling in the idea that it was his child growing insider. Sara suddenly felt what seemed to be a million butterflies fluttering in her stomach.

She took in a deep breath and he looked at her, worried.

"I felt the baby" she exclaimed.

He quickly looked up at her with a look of astonishment. He placed his ear against her stomach and felt the smallest of movement, it was light, but it was there.

He couldn't help himself; he sat back up and kissed her.

"You are amazing."

She kissed him back, grabbed his hand and placed it back on her stomach. The two of them sat there for the longest time just enjoying the peace of the moment. Letting all the other worries in their life fade away until they were the only people left. This moment belonged to them and no one else.


	39. Chapter 39

Grissom looked down at Sara and noticed she had fallen asleep

Grissom looked down at Sara and noticed she had fallen asleep. He sat there looking at her for a couple of minutes, hating the idea that he was going to have to wake her up. He gently placed a hand on her shoulder and gave it a small shake.

"Sara, wake up." Slowly she opened her eyes and looked up at him. He was freshly showered and wearing his work clothes.

"How long was I asleep?"

He glanced at his watch, "about an hour, its 9:00."

He helped her off the couch and then the two of them checked on Ashley before they headed to their own room. Grissom waited for Sara to change into some pajamas and then sat on the bed next to her; she had been quiet since he woke her up in the den.

She looked down at her hands as she played with a loose thread on the bedspread, "when's the funeral?"

He really did not want to talk about this right now, "Honey, I have to go to work."

He could see she was worried. "You know I love you right."

"I know" she responded "I just want to be there for you."

He sighed, "Sara, this is something I need to do by myself. Can you let me do that?"

Utter turmoil rang through her heart. She knew he was right, but she couldn't help but feel him pulling away. They were becoming a family and she was afraid she might lose everything. She knew he wouldn't admit it, and she also knew he loved her and would never do anything to hurt them but she was still scared.

She finally answered him, "can you Gil? Can you do it? Can you say goodbye?" it came out a bit harsher than she wanted it to and he looked at her with hurt and surprise reflected in his eyes, only to be quickly replaced by an unfeeling mask that hurt her more than anything else he could have done. He was shutting her out.

"Sara, I really don't want to talk about this?"

"When Gil? When will you be able to talk about this? I love you. I want to be there for you. Why won't you let me?"

He could hear the anguish in her voice and see it play in her eyes and it broke his heart to know he was the one to put it there, but what was he supposed to do? Tell her that he felt guilty that Heather had died, even though it wasn't his fault. Tell her that he was scared of all that was happening, the wedding, their child, his new role as father and husband.

He would break her heart to tell her these things and he couldn't do it. He loved her too much to dump his baggage on her. He was jolted back to the present when he heard her speak.

"Gil, you are the other half of me, but if you can't share things with me…" her voice broke and he saw a tear run down her face. His heart broke just a little.

"I think you need to take some time to sort this out. Like you said, you need some time to yourself."

He looked in her face and saw the anguish. "What are you saying Sara?"

She took in a deep breath, looked him strait in the eye and a little too calmly said, "you know what I'm saying. I want you to be with me more than anything else in the world, but if you can't be with me 100 then I don't want you to be here at all. Take your time. Think it over and let me know what your decision will be."


	40. Chapter 40

She could tell this pained him but she also knew she was right

She could tell this pained him but she also knew she was right.

How could he expect her to give her all when he was not willing to give his. She thought she was giving him what he wanted by giving him the time he needed. She just hoped he would make up his mind before it was too late.

In two weeks their chance to become Ashley's parents was going to end and it would break her heart to have to let that little girl down the same way her parents had let her down. She couldn't allow that to happen, but what choice did she have.

"Sara, please" he pleaded with her, hoping to change her mind.

"No Gil, you have to do this, for us, for Ashley, and for the baby. You have to sort this out, and you have to do it by yourself."

She could see the hurt play across his face and almost gave in when he said her name,

"Sara?" he said as he placed a kiss on her head.

"No Gil, please just go." And she pointed to the door, tears springing to her eyes.

He could tell she wasn't going to back down right now but he refused to admit she was right.

"I'll be back in the morning" he said when he got to the door, his back to her.

"Only if you have made your decision" he heard her say behind him.

His shoulders slumped and he walked out the room hearing Sara finally give into the tears, a closed door separating them.

He went to work, feeling alone and ashamed that he was the cause of her pain.

Sara sat in bed for an hour crying before finally giving into sleep. She was woken shortly after falling asleep by Ashley opening the bedroom door. Sara was up in an instant and crossing the room.

She picked Ashley up, "did you have a bad dream?" she asked.

Ashley nodded her head and hugged her bug to her a little tighter. Sara walked her over to the bed "want to lie down with me?"

Ashley once more nodded her head as Sara placed her on the bed and got in beside her. Ashley scooted up next to her and she wrapped her arms around the little girl. Soon Ashley was asleep and silent tears ran down Sara's face, hoping upon hope Grissom would make the right decision.


	41. Chapter 41

Chapter 24

**Sorry to leave you guys hanging, while I'm reposting this story I seldom actually read it after it is fixed, I didn't realize I even left you hanging until I got the reviews. As to the reviews, I know this is a repost of a story that I already wrote, but I would really appreciate it if you would leave a review for each chapter. It would mean a lot to me.**

**Connie**

Grissom sat at his desk and stared at the assignments in his hand, not really seeing them at all. The only thing running through his head at the moment was the torment playing through Sara's eyes right before he left.

How could he have left her in that condition? He became overwhelmed with guilt. Sara deserved to have all of him, but was he prepared to give it. He knew he loved her, but his heart was mourning the loss of a good friend. No, a great friend.

Heather was the one who saw through his meager attempts to ignore the feelings he had for Sara. The one and only time they had kissed she had known his heart belonged to another. She knew he was trying to use her to forget about the one person he couldn't bear to have a real relationship with, Sara.

He had lost touch with her since he reunited her with her granddaughter, and after Sara's kidnapping. He was convinced that first night back together is when Sara got pregnant.

He stared at the slips he held in his hand and thought about how his life had changed in the past week. So many things were different, and he had to admit he was frightened by it all. He never felt so alone and guilty in his life.

He was still staring through the assignments in his hand when he was jolted out of his thoughts by Catherine yelling his name. He looked at her and she could tell something was wrong. She came into his office and closed the door behind her.

"Gil, what's the matter." He just stared at her with a pained expression.

"Cath, I think I did something really wrong but I don't know what."

Catherine witnessed something she thought she would never see. A tear fell down his cheek, it frightened her.

"Gil, where is Sara?" he looked her in the eye.

"Sara…" he shook his head, trying to shake the cobwebs that seemed to have invaded his brain. "I'm sorry Cath, what did you ask?"

She came around the desk and placed a hand on his shoulder, he looked up at her. She gently and quietly repeated the question. "Gil, where is Sara?"

"Oh, she's at home with Ashley."

He looked back at the slips in his hand, realizing he hadn't given out assignments yet. He handed them to Catherine, "can you take these and hand them out to the guys? I'll tell you everything when you get back."

She took the slips out of his hand and headed to the break room to hand them out.

Grissom took this time to send Sara a quick text message…

_Sara,_

_For what it's worth, I'm sorry. I will be home soon. I promise._

_ Love Gil_

He had just hit the send button when Cath came back into the office, sat down in the chair in front of his desk and said, "spill it Gil, everything."


	42. Chapter 42

Grissom proceeded to tell Cath everything that had transpired over the last couple of hours, ending with his own fears and res

Grissom proceeded to tell Cath everything that had transpired over the last couple of hours, ending with his own fears and reservations. Cath seemed to grow angry at his revelations.

"Gil, what were you thinking? Did you not consider once what Sara must be going through? My god Gil, I knew you were slow on the uptake but are you kidding me?" she asked standing up and leaning over the desk at him.

Grissom looked at her with surprise, did he miss something. Cath just looked at him, clearly seeing he didn't comprehend what she had said. She sat back down in the chair with a huff.

"Gil, remember the time Sara confided in you about her childhood and what happened?"

"Yes" where was she going with this?

"Sara's childhood has always been a sore subject for her. She never had a childhood to speak of and she has to be frightened, even more than you are. Did you not consider she might think herself incapable of being a good parent?"

"But she has proven she is a wonderful mom. All anyone has to do is look at the way she is with Ashley and they would know. She thought of things I never would have." Cath gave him a pointed look.

"Have you told her all this? Have you reassured her? Told her just how good a mother she will be? She is?" A look of dawning came across his face.

"Don't get too smug, there's also the issue with Heather. I know Sara knows some things about the woman, but have you assured her that she was only a friend and nothing more?"

"I never thought to, I always assumed she knew there was nothing between Heather and myself" he answered her quietly.

Cath just went on, softening her gaze as she finished.

"One more thing, I know everything seems to be happening at lightning speed. I know you don't take change well, but I also know the only way you are going to get through this, is with her help. You need her just as much as she needs you. It's not your fault Heather and her husband died, and it's normal for you to feel the way you feel, but you will be a terrific father."

He began to balk and she held her hands up to stop him. "Listen, I have seen you train Nick, Warwick, and now Greg. I know first hand how patient and tolerant you can be under some stressful situations. You have the makings of a great father. I have seen how you treat Sara and how you idolize the ground she walks on. Of all things to be worried about, being a good husband and father should not be on that list."

Her words seemed to finally sink in and he realized just how much he had screwed up. It was going to take a lot of effort from him to fix this. He looked at Cath and understood what she was saying to him.

"Catherine, I have been a complete ass. How am I going to fix this?"

"That Gil…is something you are going to have to figure out on your own. Groveling isn't such a bad idea though…that, and flowers. Lots of flowers" Cath got up and left him to stew.

Grissom took his phone out and sent another text to Sara.

_Sara,_

_ I will be home tomorrow. I love you. I know what to do. _

_ Love Gil_


	43. Chapter 43

Chapter 25

Chapter 25

Once Grissom sent his last message to Sara he got up and headed for the break room. If he was lucky he would still be able to catch Catherine. He was going to need her help in order to get everything put together.

It was 8:00 the next morning when he finally managed to pull up to the house, a mixture of trepidation and elation overcame him as he walked up the front steps and let himself in. He half expected to see Sara gone and he would not have blamed her.

Throughout the night he mulled over what she and Catherine had said to him and he had to agree he wasn't seeing things from Sara's perspective. In fact he was being an absolute ass. He had been focused solely on himself.

He dropped his keys on the small table next to the door and made his way to the kitchen where he could hear the girls. Ashley was attempting yet again to try and gain access to the cupboards while Sara was cutting some fruit for their breakfast.

He stood there and observed her for a couple of minutes, taking in all he could. She was wearing a very nice sweat suit that accentuated her rounding stomach and her hair was up in a ponytail.

"Hi" he said quietly.

She must not have heard him enter the house because she jumped slightly when he announced his presence. She briefly looked up at him, an unreadable look in her eyes.

After the shock she returned to the task at hand and without looking up asked, "I take it you have come to some kind of decision?"

Sara never was one to beat around the bush and that was one of the things he loved most about her.

Ashley finally realized who had entered the room, toddled over to him and reached up with her hands indicating she wanted to be picked up. Grissom reached down and picked up the child giving her a tickle on the tummy that elicited a giggle.

He smiled in return, wondering what would happen to little Ashley if Sara did not agree with his plans.

He gave Ashley a kiss on the cheek and returned her to the floor, she headed strait for the refrigerator and patted the front of it with the palm of her hand making a loud slapping noise.

She looked up at him and said, "Dink."

He reached into the cupboard, grabbed a sippy cup and filled it part way with some juice. He handed it to her and she immediately began to drink holding the cup with one hand and twirling her auburn locks with the other.

Sara was watching the scene in front of her unfold and was concentrating on Ashley when Grissom finally spoke.

"I have" was all he said.

"Have what?" she looked at him with a confused look.

"Made a decision on what to do" he answered.

"Oh, and that would be?"

She went back to cutting the fruit when she felt his arms envelope her waist, his hands spreading on her stomach and his warm breath spread across her neck leaving a tingling sensation as he answered. No matter how angry she was at him, she could never stay that way for long.

"Marry me today?"

He felt her tense slightly and then relax once more. He turned her around in his embrace to gauge what she was thinking. A tear was making its way down her cheek and he gently wiped it away with his hand.

"I'm sorry Sara; I was being an ass and thinking only of myself. I know you only want the best for us and our relationship. I want us to be a family. You, me, Ashley…" he rubbed her stomach gently, "and our baby."

"I'm sorry too Gil. I was so jealous."

"Jealous? What did you have to be jealous about?"

Tears began to gather in her eyes, "I thought you loved Heather more than you loved me, and I couldn't compare to her" she said with a slight sniffle.

Grissom gathered her in his arms, "shhh Honey, you know you own my heart."

He lifted her head up to meet his eyes, "Heather was nothing more than a friend to me, please believe that. Marry me today. Let's not wait any longer."

Gradually a look of dawning crossed her face and she seemed to be overcome with panic, "Today? We can't do it today."


	44. Chapter 44

Grissom's face fell, he thought for sure he at least had a fighting chance, but he guessed he must have really messed up

Grissom's face fell, he thought for sure he at least had a fighting chance, but he guessed he must have really messed up. Sara saw his expression and quickly elaborated on her statement.

"We can't today because nothing is ready. I don't have my dress done. Ashley doesn't have a dress. The guys would kill us…"

"Sara" Grissom said holding his hands up to stop her, "Catherine and I finished organizing everything last night. You can pick your dress up this afternoon and we can stop and get Ashley a dress. All the guys are meeting us at the church at six."

After the initial shock seemed to wear off Sara gasped and ran out of the room and up the stairs. Grissom was worried at her reaction and quickly picked up Ashley, following her.

"Sara, what's wrong honey?"

He finally found her pulling various items out of her dresser; he placed Ashley on the floor and went up to Sara, "honey, what's wrong?"

"Gil, I only have until 6:00 and I have to find it. I have been looking for it for a month now. I thought I had more time, things got busy…"

"Find what?"

Sara seemed to finish with the dresser and moved on to the closet. "I know I put it somewhere safe, where did I put it?"

She was getting more panicked by the minute and her movements became more hurried as she proceeded to tear apart the entire room.

"Sara honey, if you tell me what you're looking for maybe I could help."

She looked back at him with eyes full of tears. He went to her and enveloped her in his arms to try and calm her down.

"Sara, look at me."

She looked up at him and relaxed a little. He took her over to the bed and sat her down. "Now, tell me what you are looking for and I will help you find it."

Ashley seemed to sense what was going on and came up to Sara holding out her arms, without thought Sara picked her up, placed her on her lap and began telling Grissom.

"When I was a little girl and before things really got bad, my grandmother gave me a necklace. I have managed to hold onto it through all the foster homes, which was difficult and amazing. I still have it to this day. My grandmother was like a light in my dark childhood, she never knew things weren't perfect in my house, my parents kept it well hidden."

"The last time I saw her she gave it to me, she told me to hold onto it and never let it go. I had it in a velvet bag and when we moved I know I put it somewhere safe, but I can't remember where."

Her brow scrunched trying to remember when her thoughts were interrupted by Ashley, "hungy."

Both of them looked down at the little girl and smiled. Grissom got up from the bed, grabbed the little girl from Sara's lap and held out a hand to Sara.

"Let's eat some breakfast and then we can look for it ok. If we haven't found it by eleven we can call the guys and have them help us. Deal?" he asked.

Reluctantly Sara got up from the edge of the bed, "Ok, but no later than eleven."

The three of them headed back to the kitchen to finish breakfast.

Grissom knew the deal was for eleven but by the time ten o'clock came, Sara was in a panic over the necklace and they had only managed to search half the house.

Well, actually Sara searched and Grissom followed putting the house back in order. Ashley was becoming fussy so Sara decided she better put her down for a nap and Grissom took the opportunity to call Catherine.

"Cath, I'm sorry if I woke you…" this was all he managed to get out before a barrage of questions began pouring out of the woman's mouth.

"Is everything all right?"

"Yes, Cath…"

Is Sara still mad?"

"Cath…"

She gasped dramatically, "Did she kick you out?"

"No Cath…"

"Well Gil, stop sputtering and tell me what is going on."

Grissom pulled the phone away from his ear and looked at it like it had grown arms or something. He placed it back and was ready to come through the phone and strangle the woman by the time he got a word in edgewise.

"Cath, will you please listen." When all he got in return was silence he took that as a clue to go on.

"Yes, everything is alright, No, Sara is not still mad, and No, she did not kick me out. Now, the reason I called is because Sara is frantically looking for something and neither one of us can find it. We need all of you guys to come and help us."

"What is she looking for?"

"A necklace her grandmother gave her when she was little, she said she refuses to marry without it." A minute of silence ticked by, "Cath, are you still there?"

She sounded a little choked when she answered, "I'll call the guys and have them come over, tell Sara to calm down. We'll find it."

"Thank you Cath, I know it means a lot to her." He heard Sara coming down the stairs, "I gotta go Cath, see you soon. Bye."

Sara walked up behind him right as he was hanging up the phone, "who were you talking to?"

"I decided not to wait until eleven; I called the guys over to help. They should be over within the hour." A little of the tension in her shoulders eased as she gave him a hug.

"Thank you."

"Don't thank me yet, we haven't found it."

"Just knowing you all care so much makes me feel better. I know we will find it."

They were halfway through the den when Nick and Greg showed up. Grissom opened the door for them. "Hey guy's, thanks for coming over. Sara and I really appreciate it."

"No problem Griss, Greggo and I are more than willing to help out, you know that" Nick replied.

The doorbell chimed again, "Yeah well, Sara's in the den. She can give you a description of what she's looking for and guide you to where she hasn't looked so far." He pointed in the direction of the den and headed back to the door to let the rest of the crew in.


	45. Chapter 45

Chapter 26

Sara was in her office when she heard Greg yell, "found it!"

She ran out of the room and towards the garage where Greg was searching with Grissom. She was just about to reach the connecting door when she heard Ashley cry out from the hall upstairs.

Sara reversed direction, instantly running into Warrick who was evidently following her to the garage. "Whoa, where's the fire?"

"Sorry War, I have to get Ashley before she gets scared." Warrick gave her a confused look and overcome with curiosity he followed her towards the stairs, he had never seen the little girl and wanted to know what she looked like.

Standing at the top of the stairs was a small child with dark curly hair.

Warrick was surprised by the ease Sara portrayed with the child when he saw her reach the top of the stairs and pick her up and couldn't help but be astonished at the motherly way she spoke to the child.

Sara spoke softly, "Hey baby. Did you sleep well?"

He witnessed the child bounce her head up and down in a nod and smiled at the way her hair bobbed with the motion. He was still watching her when a familiar voice spoke behind him quietly.

"Amazing, isn't it? She is going to make a wonderful mom." Warrick looked over at his boss and saw the love in his eyes as he gazed at the two now making their way down the stairs. He realized he had never seen Grissom look so happy. Sara was so good for him.

By the time Sara had made her way down the stairs the whole team was standing with Grissom, staring up in amazement at Sara. She looked up when she got to the bottom of the stairs and had a hard time trying not to laugh at the looks directed at her.

Grissom looked practically sappy and the rest looked down right astonished, like they had never seen a child before.

"Hey guys, I would like all of you to meet Ashley." Ashley had her face buried in Sara's neck and was hesitant to meet the guys.

"Ashley honey, these are our friends. Can you say hi?" the little girl slowly looked up and searched the faces of the people surrounding them. She laid her eyes on Grissom, held out her hands and leaned forward. Grissom smiled and plucked the little girl out of Sara's arms.

Astonished stares were now directed at Grissom. "You know if you guys hold that look too long it may get stuck that way." This seemed to jar the guys and they all looked a little embarrassed.

Ashley was looking at all of them, "Guys, this is Ashley. Ashley can you say hi, honey?"

The little girl bobbed her head and said a barely audible "hi" before burying her head in Grissom's neck.

All the women proceeded to awww and the guys all rolled their eyes. Grissom looked over at Greg, "Greg, didn't you have something to give Sara?"

Greg looked momentarily confused and then remembered what he held in his hand.

"Oh yeah, here you go Sara." He handed the small velvet pouch over to Sara and they all watched as she looked inside, praying it was what they were looking for.

Sara's eyes began to mist while she pulled the chain and locket out of the bag. "Thank you Greg" and she leaned over and gave him a peck on the cheek. Greg immediately began to blush and the crew stood by silently while he helped Sara secure it around her neck.

"Well, now that that is done. I suggest we get going on the rest of the plans for the day." Cath spoke up, breaking the moment.

"Hungy!" Ashley exclaimed from her perch on Grissom's arms and they all started to laugh.

Grissom looked down at the little girl and spoke, "I guess we need to have some lunch first then huh."

Ashley nodded her head, causing everyone to smile. Grissom looked at the Guys, "How about some pizza? Then we can get to work on the rest." Everyone nodded in agreement.

Sara took Ashley from Grissom and headed towards the kitchen to get her some lunch, followed closely by Catherine and the girls. Catherine wasted no time, "If I didn't know better Sara, I would think she was yours. She looks just like you."

"I know" said Sara as she placed Ashley on the floor. She went strait to her toy cupboard and began pulling out her kitchen toys. Sara watched her for a moment and then looked up at the others in the kitchen. They were all still trying to wrap their heads around the new "mom" Sara.

"Will you guys please stop looking at me that way, I didn't grow a new head or something you know."

They all apologized and offered to help. Sara asked Cath and the girls to get the plates and glasses for lunch and take them out to the dinning room while she prepared Ashley's lunch, at least this way they would leave her alone and stop staring.

Grissom came into the kitchen to see how Sara was faring. "How are you doing? Feeling better?"

"Yeah, I'm feeling better now that we found this." She reached up and caressed the locket hanging from her neck.

"Are you sure about this?"

Grissom wrapped his arms around her waist, "I have never been surer of anything in my life."

He leaned down and kissed her gently on the lips. He stopped the kiss when he felt Ashley pull on his pants leg, looking down at her with tender eyes.

"What baby?" She looked up at him and reached out her arms.

"Up" she said and Grissom leaned down and picked her up, tickling her tummy and eliciting a squeal.

A chorus of "Awww" emanated from the doorway and Grissom rolled his eyes at the women looking in at the scene.

"I'll go get her in her chair, the pizza should be here soon." And he left with Ashley still in his arms.

Catherine walked up to Sara and hugged her tightly.

"What was that for?" Sara asked.

"I'm just so happy for you. Let's hurry with lunch so we can get stuff done."

Sara nodded in agreement and took Ashley's lunch out to her. The pizza was delivered a couple minutes later and they all sat around the large dining room table enjoying their meal.

Sara suddenly felt weepy and Grissom noticed the change in her, he leaned over and gently asked what was wrong.

"Look Grissom" he looked around at the people surrounding them, all sharing mini conversations and laughter while eating their lunch. He looked back over at Sara and she looked in his eyes.

"This is our family Gil, these people."

Grissom understood what she meant as he looked once more at the people surrounding them. The crew was all sitting around the table scrunched together because the table could hardly hold them all. Ashley was situated between Sara and him and her face was covered in yogurt.

He looked up to see Sara smiling and a tear streaming down her face. He reached up and wiped it away while she mumbled something about hormones. This action did not go unnoticed by the rest of the people in the room and generous smiles graced the faces of them all.

"Well, as much as I love doing this, it is now" Cath looked down at her watch and gasped, "Oh my god guys, its one o'clock, we have to get going." After no one in the room seemed to be moving fast enough she raised her voice a little more and looked at them all pointedly.

"Get up, we have a wedding to gather."

This seemed to spark a fire under their chairs and they all went into action. The guys all quickly cleaned up and said their goodbyes before dragging Grissom out of the house with them. The girls finished up the dishes while Sara and Catherine got Ashley ready to go.

The house was deserted by the time a half an hour had passed, all with instructions to meet at the designated place at six that evening. They all kept in touch with their walkie talkie phones and Catherine was apprised of everything going on. She was running everything with military precision.

"Ok girls, first stop bridal shop. We have a dress to fit and bridesmaids dresses to get." Catherine said to the packed into the SUV.


	46. Chapter 46

Chapter 27

**Alright guys, this chapter gives you the wedding and a new twist. Hope you enjoy it, the next chapter gives you a little more…if you know what I mean, honeymoon and all… Leave a review and make my day.**

Sara arrived at the church promptly at six, to say she was nervous would have been a huge understatement. She wasn't nervous about marrying Grissom, that had been a dream come true, no, she was nervous because they were about to profess their love for each other to a church full of friends and family.

She took a deep breath and walked into the foyer of the church, Brass was there waiting for her along with Nick, Warrick, Greg and Archie. Catherine came in behind her holding Ashley in her beautiful new dress, a halo of small blue flowers set in her curls. Right behind her was Wendy, Mandy, and Jacque.

Brass looked over at Sara, "You're beautiful" he said with a tear in his eye.

"I'm so happy for the two of you, I know you're not my daughter, but I think of you as one" he said, beginning to get a little choked up.

Sara gave him a hug, "that's why I wanted you to walk me down the isle, you have been more of a father to me then I could have ever hoped." Catherine was in tears by now and Warrick handed her a tissue. She cleaned herself up and then got back down to business.

"Ok guys, Warrick your with me and Ashley. Nick, you're with Mandy. Archie, you're with Jacque. And Greg, you're with Wendy. Ok guys line up!" She handed Ashley over to Warrick and stood in front of Sara, looking her in the eye, "you ready?"

Sara just nodded; afraid her voice would crack if she tried to speak. Catherine reached up and pulled the veil over her face.

"Ok guys, we're ready." Sara heard the music begin and the doors to the inner church were opened.

She let out a small gasp when she saw the inside of the church, everyone was there, and she meant everyone. She even saw Ecklie. The sheriff had been provided with front row seats along with his wife, Al and his wife were sitting next to him. She looked around and noticed half the crime lab plus a good percentage of the force.

Tears began to mist her eyes when she finally looked up at the man standing in the back of the room, smiling at her. He looked beyond handsome in his tux and her breath caught in her chest as her eyes locked with his and she didn't even notice the others had already begun to process.

Catherine and Warrick were the first to go down the isle followed by Nick and Mandy, Archie and Jacque, and Greg and Wendy. They all took their places at the back, all the men next to Grissom and the girls along the other side waiting for Sara.

Grissom looked down the isle and watched as Brass escorted Sara towards him. He couldn't help but smile, she was so beautiful. Her dress was amazing. It was a beautiful peach color with lace covering it from the waist down and the sleeveless top showed off her beautiful skin.

Her hair was set in a bun with curls surrounding her face and her grandmother's locket was placed lovingly around her neck. He could see the shimmer in her eyes as she looked back at him with pure love mirrored in their depths. Her bouquet matched the flowers that had been placed in her hair, white roses and blue carnations.

At that moment he was the happiest man on Earth.

She walked up to him and Brass handed her to him, a fatherly look plastered on his face and a lone tear running down his cheek, "take care of her."

"You know I will" Grissom whispered back, his voice cracking slightly with emotion.

The two of them turned and faced the priest. Vows were exchanged and promises made.

"You may now kiss the bride" rang through the church and Grissom reached up and lifted her veil, leaning in and giving her a deep kiss.

As soon as their lips touched the entire church broke out in applause and whistles, their friends and family celebrating their union. They ran down the isle and exited the church, diving into the limo outside waiting for them.

Grissom was giving Sara another deep kiss when the door to the limo opened and Catherine, Warrick, and Brass got in. Warrick was still holding Ashley, and that was when Sara noticed the car seat in one of the seats of the limo.

The moment Ashley saw them she held out her hands and Sara enveloped her in a hug and gave her head a kiss. She let Grissom do the same before securing the little girl in her seat. Warrick tapped the glass separating them from the driver and the limo was on its way.

The reception was just as beautiful as the wedding; every detail was taken care of, no matter how small. Soon after they arrived the guests began entering the large reception hall. By the end of an hour the room was packed with people, champagne flowed freely and the dance floor remained full.

They had their dance, moving so close together not a sliver of light could pass between them, Grissom kissing Sara's neck, her shoulder, her cheek, and her lips. The cake was cut and the toasts were made.

It was almost midnight by the time the party started winding down and Ashley had long ago fallen asleep on Warrick's lap. He had been holding her off and on the entire night to allow the happy couple some time alone, though they never wandered far and constantly checked on her.

He was amazed at how great they were at being parents, as though they had been doing it all their lives. Catherine came up to him and smiled, placing her hand on her own stomach. Warrick just smiled back. Grissom and Sara came up to them right then to check on the little girl.

"She's asleep guys don't worry. Here" and she handed Grissom a room key. "Warrick and I will take Ashley for the night so the two of you can enjoy your wedding night. Don't worry she knows us and feels comfortable with us. If we have any problems we'll call you. Take this key and head over to the check in counter, they will escort you from there."

Both Grissom and Sara stared at them. They looked at each other and then back at Catherine and Warrick, a question on the tip of their tongues. Catherine headed them off, "no questions. Just enjoy your night and we will talk tomorrow, ok?"

They agreed and giving Ashley one last kiss they headed out of the hall and towards the check in desk. Once there they handed the key over to the clerk and witnessed a smile spread across her face.

"Yes, Mr. and Mrs. G. Grissom" she said and hailed over a bellhop. She handed the man a card, "Please take Mr. and Mrs. Grissom to their room."

The man looked down at the card and escorted them over to an elevator. Instead of having a wall of buttons there was only a card reader. The man slipped in the card and they began to ascend. When they reached their stop they discovered they were on the top floor and the elevator opened directly to their room.

The bellhop entered the room, "These will be your accommodations for the night, and please do not hesitate to call if anything is needed." Grissom reached into his pocket for the tip and was halted by the man. "No need sir, everything has been arranged." And he left the room.

Sara and Grissom gaped at each other, "this had to have been Catherine's doing" Sara said walking into the bedroom closely followed by Grissom. "I would have to agree" he replied, lowering the zipper on the back of her dress and kissing his way across her shoulders.


	47. Chapter 47

Chapter 28

**I am really sorry for the delay guys, but I have been swamped with homework. I will make up for it with a double dose of postings. Be kind and give a review for each if you can. Thanks for waiting.**

**Connie**

Sara woke up the next morning to deep blue eyes, they were the same eyes she always woke up to but this time it was different. She woke up as Gil's wife and she loved it. He smiled at her, tightening his hold across her waist and snuggling as close as he could with her ever growing stomach.

Just as he leaned in to give his bride a kiss the baby kicked hard, causing Sara to jump out of bed saying something about baby and bladder. He inwardly laughed. He took the time she was in the bathroom to order some breakfast, knowing she was going to be hungry after last nights activities.

He was just getting off the phone when she came out, "what time is it? Do you think it's too early to call Cath and see how Ashley is?"

He looked at the clock and reached over to the phone, "Ashley should be up by now." She walked over to the bed and sat down on his side while he dialed Cath's number. He reached over and grabbed her by the waist.

"Hello?"

"Hey Cath, just calling to check Ashley, how's she doing?"

"She's fine, Warrick made her some pancakes and their eating right now. How was your night?" she asked with humor in her voice. Grissom knew she was trying to avoid the unanswered questions from last night but decided to let her get away with it for now. They would drill the two later when they picked Ashley up.

"Our night was good" he said a little cheekily while looking at Sara with a devilish look in his eye. She held out her hand for the phone, "Sara wants a word with you, bye"

"Bye Gil"

Sara put the phone to her ear as someone knocked on their room door. Grissom got up, put on his robe, and went to answer it while Sara talked to Cath.

"Hey Cath, how is Ashley?"

"Like I told Gil, she's fine. Don't worry. Her, Warrick, and Lindsey are eating pancakes as we speak. Oh shit!" Sara took in a quick breath.

"Cath? Cath what's wrong?" She got no answer and was about to start panicking when she heard Warrick on the line.

"Sorry Sara…Um…Cath had an emergency trip to the bathroom." He sounded a little hesitant.

"Is she ok?"

"Yeah, she'll be fine. It'll pass." Sara smiled inwardly; she had a sneaky suspicion why but decided not to press. Grissom came into the room with a plate in his hand and waved it under Sara's nose. The Belgium waffle smothered in whipped cream and strawberries instantly making her drool, she looked up at Grissom and gave him a nasty look.

"I'm glad to hear everything is ok" she almost lost her train of thought when Grissom took a giant bite of the waffle, a drop of strawberry sauce lingering on his chin as he chewed. She was contemplating what she wanted more, the waffle or the man when she heard Warrick, "Sara? You still there?"

"Yeah sorry" she said as she looked Grissom in the eye and he froze, knowing full well what was going through her mind at the moment.

"Look, Warrick…um…We'll see you guys later, ok?" she heard Warrick chuckle, "Sure Sara, have a good morning" and he hung up, knowing full well what was about to transpire between the newlyweds.

Sara placed the phone down in its cradle and slowly got up from the bed without breaking eye contact with Grissom. As she got a little closer he began to back out of the room, a smile beginning to play on his face as he took a dollop of the whipped cream with his finger and slowly licked it off.

Sara's eyes turned dark with his movements as she continued to slowly chase him out the door of the room. As the two progressed into the next room Sara reached down and unbuttoned the top button of the dress shirt she had worn to bed.

It was his and he swore he would never be able to wear that shirt again without thinking of this moment. She made quick work of the buttons and had soon shed the shirt and he followed its decent to the floor and then on his gazes return trip up he took in the sight of her.

She stopped when the shirt hit the floor and stood there, allowing him to drink her in. He took his time gazing at her. His wife. His Sara.

He looked at her, from her slender ankles to her toned calves, up to her highly rounded stomach that contained his child. Up to her milky white breasts that had grown larger in expectation of the child she carried. Their pink buds gathered taught with anticipation.

His gaze traveled up further to her neck, which he had sampled completely last night and desired to so again and again. Finally making his way to her face, the smile she wore just for him playing across her face. He looked in her eyes and took in a sharp breath; they were so expressive, telling him without words just how much his looking at her affected her.

She came up to him and reached down to the plate he still held in his hand and repeated his earlier actions, dipping a finger in the whipped cream and bringing it to her mouth.

She enveloped her finger in her mouth and closed her eyes slowly pulling it out, then licking it over to make sure there was no cream left to speak of. Grissom stood there staring at her mouth and the things her tongue was doing to that finger, wishing she was doing it to something else at the moment.

He was rock hard by the time she grabbed the plate from his hand and placed it on the cart that held the rest of their breakfast. She leaned in and proceeded to lick the droplet of strawberry sauce off his chin causing him to take in a sharp breath with the action.

She moved her lips to his ear and whispered, "I love you Dr. Grissom." He closed his eyes as he whispered back, "I love you Mrs. Grissom" before taking her in his arms and kissing her deeply. He moved the two of them to the couch, removed his robe and sat down.

He reached up to her and she followed him down, sitting on his lap. He lifted her up just enough and gently entered her as she positioned herself on him, enveloping him in her moist folds. He placed his hands on her hips as she began to move.

"Sara, I love you so much, you completely stole my heart." he said sweetly to her as he climbed to his climax.

Her eyes never strayed from his as she whispered back, "You've had me from hello" and her own climax overtook her. She collapsed onto his chest and he held her tight to him, not willing to ever let her go.

As you have more than likely guessed, I wrote the last bit of this chapter while listening to Kenny Chesney's "You had me from Hello". I love that song.


	48. Chapter 48

Chapter 29

Families

Hours later fed, bathed, and dressed they left their hotel room, vowing to return every year on their anniversary to relive their first night as husband and wife. They stopped at the gift shop in the hotel to buy Ashley and the baby a little something and then headed to Catherine's.

"So, how long do you think they have been together?" Sara asked half way there.

"I don't know, but I'm positive there is a little more than their relationship their hiding." He replied. Sara nodded her head in agreement.

Ten minutes later they pulled up to Cath's house and noticed Warrick's car was still in the driveway. Sara looked from the car to her husband, "they aren't even trying to hide it, are they?"

"Guess not" he said as he witnessed Warrick open the door with Ashley in his arms. She saw the two of them come up the drive and squirmed to get free. Warrick placed her down on the walk and she quickly toddled over to them. Grissom picked her up and she threw her arms around his neck, giving him a tight hug.

He hugged her back.

"Hey, what about me?" Sara said smiling and Ashley quickly held out her arms for her. Sara grabbed the little girl from Grissom and gave her a bear hug.

"Hey sweetie, did you have fun?" the little girl bobbed her head, "Lindy" she said enthusiastically.

"What?" Sara asked looking at the little girl. "Fun with Lindy!"

"Her and Lindsey played all morning, they hit it off right away" Warrick supplied.

Grissom and Sara both nodded their heads then headed into the house, Ashley talking a mile a minute about spending the night with Lindsey. Apparently to the little girl, Cath and Warrick weren't even there. Sara was just putting Ashley down when the baby gave a huge kick. Ashley's eyes grew wide with excitement at the movement.

Sara sat on the couch in the living room and Ashley climbed up beside her and placed her hand on Sara's stomach. The baby kicked again and Ashley let out a little squeal. Grissom sat down on the couch as well, placing his hand over Ashley's, a light in his eye.

While this was happening Catherine and Warrick stood in the entranceway looking on at the scene in front of them. Warrick turned to Cath and smiled, she just smiled back.

"I never thought I would see this side of Grissom, I was sure it was there." Cath whispered.

"I know what you mean, looking at him being so happy is nice."

He wrapped his arms around her waist and gave her a hug. They were still in their own little world when they heard Grissom clearing his throat. He raised an eyebrow at them.

"So, how long has this been going on?" He gestured at the two, "and, how long have the two of you been expecting?" he asked while looking at Cath's stomach, seeing no indication she was pregnant he secretly hoped he was right.

Cath made a heavy sigh and took a seat in one of the other chairs in the living room. "Warrick and I got together shortly after Sam was shot, I was having some problems and he was a huge help to me. As for the baby part, I found out a month ago. I thought I was going through the change but it turned out to be just the opposite." She took in a deep breath and exhaled, like a huge weight had been lifted off of her.

Warrick came over to her and sat on the arm of the chair, "We didn't want to worry you guys, sorry. You were already going through so many changes, we just didn't want to add to that."

Both Grissom and Sara gave them a confused look when Sara finally asked what was on both of their minds. "Why would we be worried? Is everything ok?"

Warrick looked down at Cath and she nodded her head, "due to the nature of the pregnancy and Cath's age they consider this to be a high risk pregnancy. She is only three months along but will soon be showing."

Grissom's face turned worried, "what do you mean by the nature of this pregnancy?"

Sara nodded her head, encouraging them to continue.

Catherine was the one to speak this time, "I'm having twins."

Both Sara's and Grissom's mouths dropped in surprise. They only came to when Ashley tugged on Sara's sleeve. "Mommy, home?"

This time Cath and Warrick's mouths met the floor along with Sara's and Grissom's.

"Did she just call you mommy?" Grissom asked

In answer Ashley began patting Sara on the arm, "mommy, home?" Sara's eyes began to mist when she answered, "yes baby, we can go home now. Is that what you want?"

Ashley nodded her head and climbed off the couch. She grabbed one of Grissom's legs, "daddy, come".

It was an order, not a question and he was too stunned to not obey. Both he and Sara got up off the couch, "up" Ashley said while holding her arms open for him.

He bent down and picked up the little girl, giving her a gentle hug and kiss on the cheek. Cath and Warrick followed them out of the house and while Warrick removed the car seat from his car and put it into theirs they said their goodbye's to Cath.

As Sara was getting Ashley into her seat Warrick went up to Grissom and patted him on the back, "man, I never thought I would hear anybody calling you 'daddy'" he said with a smile on his face. Grissom just gave him a look and climbed into the car.


	49. Chapter 49

Chapter 30

Chapter 30

On their way home they stopped for some Ice cream (Sara was having a craving) and enjoyed some much needed, stress free, family time. They sat outside the ice cream shop and watched the people go by as they ate. Sara sighed with contentment; never in a million years did she think she would ever be part of such a wonderful family.

By the time they were done with their ice creams Ashley had managed to practically bath herself in it and proved to be very sticky when they put her into her car seat to head home.

Sara looked at the little girl while strapping her in and smiled, "looks like someone need a bath"

Ashley's face lit up "bubbles?" she asked loudly

"Yes bubbles" Sara confirmed as she gave the little girl one last tickle before getting into the car and buckling herself in. She looked over at Grissom and witnessed a positively sappy look encompassing his face.

"What?" he asked

"Nothing" Sara responded, and inwardly laughed.

Fifteen minutes later Ashley was surrounded by bubbles and enthusiastically putting them on Sara's head as she was being washed. Grissom made his way into the bathroom with a large towel ready to take over when he noticed Sara's head.

The look was even better when Sara turned around and was wearing a matching beard and mustache.

They both broke out into laughter at the same time. He walked up to the side of the tub and leaned down next to it, gently wiping the bubbles off her face and kissing her newly exposed skin. The smell of the soap she was covered with filling his nostrils.

Sara could tell the air in the bathroom had changed and gently grabbed the towel out of his hands, silent acknowledgement passing between the two of them.

Grissom pulled Ashley out of the tub and placed her on the floor while Sara wrapped the towel around her, Grissom picked her up and took her into her room and dressed her.

While Grissom wrestled Ashley into some clothes, Sara took out her nap blanket and teddy and placed them on the bed. Ashley gave a giant yawn and rubbed her eyes, giving both adults the hope they might be able to enjoy some alone time together. It took less than five minutes for the girl to fall into a sound sleep and they quietly crept out of the room.

Sara was just outside their room when she felt Grissom's arms surround her waist and pull her in tight to him. She leaned into him and took a deep breath. It had been less than 24 hours since they made love but it seemed like ages.

His hands began to wander from her bulging stomach up to her breasts while he kissed the soft skin at the nape of her neck. He turned her around in his arms and kissed her hard on the lips, pressing himself as close to her as he could.

He loved the feel of her swollen stomach against his skin and couldn't wait to feel the tight skin touching his. Slowly they made their way to the bed and she stood there while he slowly undressed her. She loved it when he undressed her.

He slipped his hands below the hem of her shirt and began to lift it slowly up. When he reached far enough she lifted her arms above her head and allowed him to completely remove it. He threw the shirt behind him and trailed his hands from her still up stretched hands down to her chest.

He undid the clasp to her bra and it followed her shirt, her breath caught in her throat when he sucked a soft pink peak into his mouth. Her senses were on overdrive as he gently nibbled at the bud. Once he had teased it to a hard peak he moved to the other one, causing her to arch slightly into his touch.

He smiled against her flesh as he trailed kisses down her stomach, encircling his hands around it, in awe of the miracle taking place inside. He kissed every inch of the swollen, taught flesh as his hands pulled her pants down to give him access to her most private parts.

He stood once more and gently sat her on the edge of the bed. She tried to relieve him of his pants but he stopped her and shook his head, "let me."

He quickly removed his clothes and sat beside her on the bed. He once again began to kiss his way from her shoulder to her mouth, capturing it with his in a searing embrace.

He pushed her down on the bed with his body and began to reacquaint himself with her supple flesh. She moaned softly as he trailed gentle kisses down her chest and over her belly, finally finding his way to the heart of curls.

He plunged his tongue between her folds and she bucked her hips with the movement. He loved the taste of her and languidly explored her flesh, moving his tongue in circles around her bud and sucking.

She was soon shaking with climax and calling his name, begging him for more, for him to enter her and send her once again flying off the edge of eternity.

He was more than happy to oblige and covered her body with his own, she opened her middle to him and he plunged deep within her, eliciting a moan from her and him. He began to move slowly, in and out, thrusting with gentle ease into her core. She lifted her hips to allow deeper entry and he quickened his pace.

He continued to thrust himself in and out, hearing his name called out to him in a passion filled moan. Sara's walls began to pulse around him with her orgasm, causing him to release his own. He drove into her one last time before calling her name and collapsing to her side with exhaustion, the two of them satiated once more with release.

After a good ten minutes they had both managed to recover. Grissom looked over at Sara and saw she had fallen asleep; she looked so peaceful he didn't want to wake her. He carefully got out of the bed and got dressed, covering her with a blanket before heading down to the kitchen for a snack.

Sara woke a couple of hours later to the sound of laughter floating up the stairs. She quickly got dressed and headed down the stairs, following the sound of giggling.

Ashley and Grissom were sitting in the living room watching a movie; the two of them were sitting in the middle of the floor on a blanket with a variety of what looked like plastic food surrounding them.

Ashley placed a variety of the plastic food on a small plate and handed it to Grissom "thank you very much, miss" he said, eliciting another giggle from her. He took one piece of the food and inspected it carefully before placing it back on the plate.

A second went by and then he pretended to gobble all the food up in one bite, burping when he was done. Ashley erupted in a fit of giggles once more and Sara outright laughed.

At the sound of laughter from behind them, they turned around and looked at her, Grissom smiled and Ashley got up and ran over to her.

"Mommy hungry?' she asked Sara

"Starving" she said to the little girl as she was pulled over to the blanket and sat down next to Grissom. He gave her a sheepish grin "you play with Ashley and I will start dinner." Sara nodded her head and looked over at the clock, it was already five in the afternoon, and she had slept for three hours.


	50. Chapter 50

Sara and Ashley played on the floor for a good ten minutes before Sara's back began to give her some trouble

Back to business

Sara and Ashley played on the floor for a good ten minutes before Sara's back began to give her some trouble. She went to get up and felt her back spasm causing her to cry out. Grissom ran into the living room when he heard Sara's cry of pain. He rushed over to her and helped her get off the floor, situating her on the couch.

"Are you ok?" he asked with a worried look on his face.

"Yeah, my back just doesn't like me to get on the floor apparently" she said as the pain subsided and she relaxed. Ashley climbed up on the couch next to her and gave her a hug. Sara wrapped a hand around her and hugged her close, trying to reassure the little girl she was alright while Grissom continued to look at her with a worried expression.

"Gil I'm fine, really. Go finish dinner" she gave him a smile, which seemed to ebb his worry a bit.

"Ok, but stay there and relax for a little while." Sara rolled her eyes at him as he got up and headed back into the kitchen to finish dinner.

Ashley placed her hands on Sara's stomach in the hopes of feeling the baby again and was rewarded with a kick. She giggled and replaced her hand with her head.

"Is that the baby doing that?" she asked the little girl. Ashley bounced her head in response, "Baby!" Sara smiled, enjoying the moment with her daughter. As soon as the thought passed itself through her mind she knew it was true. She couldn't have loved this little girl any more if she had given birth to her.

Ashley continued to enjoy the movements of her sibling when Grissom came into the room to announce dinner was ready. He took in the sight in front of him and smiled. He went over to the pair and sat down, placing his hand over Sara's stomach as well. She just smiled more broadly.

Grissom looked up at Sara, "dinner's ready, you hungry?"

"I could eat" she responded with a smile.

"yummy!" Ashley said out loud, causing both Sara and Grissom to laugh.

Once dinner was over with, Sara scooted Grissom off to bed while she cleaned up, as much as the two of them hated it they were going to have to return to business as usual. Grissom reluctantly agreed and headed off to bed for some much needed sleep.

The next he knew Sara was waking him up for work, "Gil its 9:30, you need to get up" shaking him gently.

"I'm awake. I'm awake" he mumbled as he sat up in bed. Sara felt sorry for him and vowed she would make his breakfast in the morning and send him straight to bed. He got up and readied for work while she put together a lunch for him.

He came in looking somewhat refreshed and grabbed himself a cup of the coffee Sara had brewed for him. She filled his travel mug for him and set it next to his lunch. He smiled and leaned over for a kiss.

"I could get used to this you know, you start spoiling me now and I may start expecting it all the time." She smiled back at him, "Yeah well, I still have a hankering for putting the bad guys in jail, so don't get your hopes up" she replied while handing him his lunch and coffee.

He smiled, "I love you" he said to her right before giving her a kiss.

"I love you too, you better go before you're late." She gave him a small shove towards the door and kissed him goodbye.

Grissom came into work with a wide grin on his face. He went over to the reception desk and picked up those nights slips which quickly wiped the smile off his face. There was only one case, but it was going to require the entire night shift to do it, and he was down a CSI.

Moments later he stepped into the break room to let the guys know what was going on. They thought he was going to be smiling and bouncy, instead he was grumbling and his face sported a frown.

He got right to the point, "we have five bodies at the high school, apparently the teenagers were having a party in the building when someone interrupted them. They were all shot, Brass is waiting for us lets go."

They all nodded at him and got up, it was going to be a long night.


	51. Chapter 51

Surprise Endings

Surprise Endings

Sara was getting a little worried when Grissom finally called around ten the next morning.

"I'm sorry honey, we had a really bad case and this is the first break we've had" he apologized over the phone.

"It's ok, what time do you think you will be done. I wanted to do some shopping this morning?"

"I wish I could say we were close to being done, but the scene is huge and is going to take at least another couple of hours to get through" he explained.

"Do you want me to come in? I can get a sitter for Ashley."

"No, we are managing alright, I had to send Cath home a couple of hours ago, Warrick was getting worried, but we're doing fine. Day shift just started and Ecklie is sending a couple of his people over to help, so we will be done in a while."

"Ok, I'll have my cell on me if you need anything. Bye" she replied while silently planning on ordering a mess of pizza's to be delivered to the lab for when they get back.

"Bye honey" and he disconnected and got back to work. He so wished he could take a break and have something to eat, but they were so close to being done. He took in a deep breath and got back to work.

When Grissom, Warrick, Nick, Greg, and the guys from day shift came back to the lab they were instantly greeted by the smell of Pizza. It took all their might to get their evidence logged and dropped at the proper places before heading to the break room where the smell was emanating from.

When they got to the door they were greeted by a smiling Sara, Catherine, and Ashley. Grissom went up to Sara and gave her a deep kiss followed by an enormous hug.

"Daddy hug?" Ashley asked while pulling on Grissom's shirt.

"For my girl, anything!" he replied as he pulled her out of Sara's arms.

While he was occupying Ashley Sara went over to the table and began opening the pizza boxes and serving the guys along with Cath. She placed three generous slices of meat lovers onto a plate and handed it to Grissom right before taking Ashley back from him.

"Eat, Ashley can come and help me with the others." He gave her another kiss and a huge smile. He watched as her and Ashley passed out sodas to the guys. Half an hour later the crew was all stuffed and thanking Sara profusely for the Pizza, each in turn offering to pay for their fair share.

"Really guys, it's not necessary. Gil will you please tell them to stop worrying about it" she implored.

"Guys, she's right. Don't worry about it. We can more than afford to pay for some pizza's and sodas." He tried to convince them without saying anything else.

"What, did you win the lottery or something?" Nick piped in.

"Or something" Grissom replied.

"Oh, for crying out loud just tell them Gil. They're going to find out sooner or later" Sara spoke up.

"Fine, fine. Sara and I can afford this" he motioned around with his hand towards the debris of boxes, "because when we adopted Ashley we received a couple million dollars" he mumbled the last part.

A course of "What?" filled the room.

"Are you serious?" Greg yelled.

"Your joking" Nick spluttered while Warrick just gave a low whistle.

"I'm telling the truth, and the only reason we told you at all is because we knew you wouldn't leave us alone otherwise" he said a little grumpily.

"Ok man, no worries. We'll leave it be" Nick chimed in, everyone else nodded.

Sara clapped her hands, "now that that's done and over with" she said as she headed over to the fridge, "how about some nice, thick, fattening…" she reached in and grabbed a couple of boxes and lifted them up, "cheesecake" she finished enthusiastically.

Groans of appreciation filled the room as they all shot up from their seats and lined up for the treat. Grissom just stayed in his seat, Ashley had fallen asleep on his lap and frankly he was enjoying it.

Sara came over and handed him a slice of the confection and sat down next to him. She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. He took a forkful of the cheesecake, fed it to her, and watched as she savored the bite.

It was another hour before any of them were able to leave, still full from the pizzas but tired as hell. Sara decided to drive Grissom home and he was thankful, falling asleep before they even managed to get out of the parking lot.

When they got home Sara was barely able to wake Grissom enough to get him into the house and up to bed. She gave him a kiss and then she and Ashley left to do the shopping.

Sara and Ashley walked the isles of the store picking up what they needed for dinner when they started down the baby isle. Sara started looking at all the products and decided to pick up a few items that weren't on the list.

When Grissom woke up Sara was just coming back into the house with one arm full of grocery bags and the other holding a very disgruntled Ashley. Sara looked like she had been through the ringer and he felt sorry for her. He pulled the bags from her arms and placed them on the counter.

"Sit down on the couch Sara, I will get Ashley down for a nap." She shook her head, "there are some more groceries in the car."

"Don't worry, I'll get them. Go lay down" he left no option but for her to comply and she headed into the living room to lie down. It took Ashley all of two seconds to pass out once she was warm in her bed and Grissom headed out to the car to retrieve the rest of the groceries.

"I have got to stop letting her shop by herself" he mumbled to himself as he was bringing the last of the bags into the kitchen. He began to sift through the bags, taking inventory of all the non-food items Sara had purchased.

"She must have cleared them of all the baby items" he commented as he pulled the last items out and placed them on the counter. He looked around at the sea of blue surrounding him. It hit him once again. He was going to have a son.


	52. Chapter 52

Grissom gently nudged Sara awake, "honey, you need to get up and have some dinner" he whispered in her ear

Nanny Woes

Grissom gently nudged Sara awake, "honey, you need to get up and have some dinner" he whispered in her ear. She sat up and rubbed the sleep from her eyes.

"how long have I been asleep?"

Grissom looked at his watch, "about three hours, you must have really been tired."

"I guess so, what's for dinner?" she asked as he helped her off the couch.

"Eggplant Parmesan. Hungary?" she brightened at hearing what they were having for dinner. "Starving!" she responded.

Once Sara was settled and they started their dinner she asked "Gil, did you know we really don't have anything for the baby?"

"I assume your excluding the items you purchased this morning?" he responded around his bite of food. Sara gave him a sheepish look.

"I meant furniture wise, I think we need to get the baby's room ready, I know I'm only six months but look at the size of me. I feel like a beached whale." She said quickly.

"Honey, you do not look like a beached whale, and I think your right. We should get the room ready. I have tomorrow off so why don't we go shopping in the morning?" Sara nodded her head.

"There was one other thing. I have to go back to work in three days and I think we should find a nanny for Ashley." Grissom finished his bite while nodding his head.

"Your right, did you get the information from Catherine?"

"Yeah, I'm going to call the service in the morning to set up some interviews."

Ashley, who had been quiet this entire time, decided she was done with her food and threw her cup on the floor. Both Grissom and Sara followed its decent and thanked the stars for sippy cups. Grissom smiled up at Sara.

The next morning Sara was on the phone when Grissom finally walked in. As he was hanging his jacket Ashley ran up to him "Daddy home!" and wrapped her hands around his legs.

He reached down and picked her up, "and how is my little bug this morning?"

"Good, mommy mad." Sara got off the phone and huffed.

"What's the matter hon?" Grissom asked as he walked into the living room.

"The service Catherine suggested doesn't have any nannies available right now and I've called ten other services, all saying the same thing." She was frustrated.

"Let's worry about that later today and go shopping. We can invite Catherine, I had to send her home again last night."

"Is she ok?" Sara asked, a little worried.

"Yeah, she's just still having some problems with sickness. We weren't busy last night, so I sent her home." He said as he placed Ashley down on the floor.

"I bet Warrick was happy." Sara said with a grin.

"He did seem to loosen up a bit when she went home. Give her a call and I…" he said while stooping down to tickle Ashley, "will get this little one out of her jammies and into some clothes."

"Can I wear the blue dress daddy?" she said bouncing up and down while heading towards her room.

"Sure bug." He replied before scooting her up the stairs to get dressed. Sara laughed at the two while dialing Cath's number.

"Willows"

"Hey Cath, it's Sara. Gil and I are going to go baby shopping, do you want to go with?"

"Hang on a sec" Sara could hear some low talking in the background, "sure, is it alright if Lindsey comes, she want's to see Ashley."

"Sure, no problem" She said. They worked out the details and then hung up. Grissom came down with Ashley, she was very pretty in her blue dress, white frilly socks, and white shoes.

"Mommy, daddy said we're going shopping for the baby!" she said excitedly while Grissom set her down.

"Yes we are bug, and guess what?" Sara said excitedly.

"What mommy?" Ashley asked with wide eyes.

"Lindsey is coming too."

"yeah!" the little girl screamed as she ran around the living room. Grissom and Sara both laughed at her antics.

Ashley was practically bouncing out of her chair when Lindsey and Catherine came up to the car and got in.

"Hey bug" Lindsey greeted the little girl and gave her a tickle on the tummy, eliciting a squeal of delight from the little girl. Turning to the adults in the front seat she asked, "so where are we going first?"

Grissom glanced in the back before pulling out and heading in the direction of the mall. "Well, we need to order some baby furniture and get some other supplies for the baby, so we are heading to the mall."

"Cool" Lindsey replied before continuing to entertain Ashley.

They were only at the mall for about twenty minutes before Ashley began showing signs of boredom. Lindsey grabbed one of Ashley's hands and whispered something in her ear. The little girl nodded her head in agreement and the two headed towards them.

"Uncle Gil?" Lindsey started, "there is a children's play area downstairs, would you mind if I took Ashley down to play?"

Ashley looked up at them hopefully, bouncing slightly on her feet. Grissom looked from the girls up at Sara, she nodded her approval.

"Ok, do you have your phone on you?" Lindsey rolled her eyes.

"Uncle Gil, I'm 17 years old. Have you ever heard of a 17 year old who didn't have their phone on them?" she said and looked at him pointedly.

He held up his hands in defeat, "sorry, forgot. Have fun and call if you need anything." He finished right before Ashley and Lindsey headed in the direction of the play area.

"Lindsey is so good with Ashley" Sara said to no-one in particular. Grissom and Cath nodded in agreement. Grissom could tell the cogs in her mind were working something out.

"What are you thinking?" he asked, grabbing her attention. Sara smiled at him and then turned to Catherine.

"Hey Cath?"

"Yeah" she responded while looking at a set of crib sheets.

"Is Lindsey out of school yet?"

Catherine looked up from what she was doing, catching on to what Sara was going to ask.

"Yeah, her graduation is in a week but she finished classes two weeks ago, she was in the accelerated program and finished early."

"How do you think she would like to watch Ashley?" Sara asked.

"I don't see a problem with it, but you will need to ask her." Catherine seemed just as excited about the proposition as Sara did. Just then the two girls in question showed up, Ashley holding up a small blue stuffed dog. "Mommy look, Lindy won for baby."

"That's nice bug, how about some lunch? Are you hungry?"

"Yes!" she said while bouncing all around.

During lunch Grissom and Sara asked Lindsey about watching Ashley and the both of them seemed excited about it. They discussed all the details and after an agreement and lunch were finished they set out to finish the shopping.

Grissom and Sara were silently thinking the same thing, that some of the money they got for Ashley would be well spent on a college education for Lindsey.


	53. Chapter 53

Two nights later Sara was anxious to get back to work

Back to work

Two nights later Sara was anxious to get back to work. It had felt like ages since she had been there and she was looking forward to getting back. She was in the bathroom when Grissom yelled up to her, "Sara, are you just about ready? Lindsey's already here and Ashley is ready for bed."

She came out of the room and headed towards Ashley's room. She tucked the little girl in and gave her a kiss. "Are you looking forward to going to school in the morning?"

In addition to having Ashley being watched during the night they enrolled her into a pre-school program that allowed them to get a decent amount of sleep before they had to pick her up.

Ashley looked up at Sara and nodded her head, her lids drooping slightly with sleep. Sara smiled down at the little girl and gave her a peck on the cheek. "Mommy and Daddy will both be taking you to school in the morning, ok?"

She nodded her head slightly, already beginning to nod off. Sara gave her one last light kiss on her forehead and then headed downstairs.

"Hey Lindsey, thank you so much for doing this, we made up the spare bedroom for you to sleep in. Feel free to have a snack from the fridge and make yourself at home." She said as Grissom helped her into her jacket.

Although Sara was stuck in the lab for the remainder of her pregnancy she was still happy to be able to work, and as much as she loved spending time with Ashley she needed the mental stimulation.

It felt like this pregnancy was sucking every living brain cell from her body and she decided if she didn't exercise it she was going to lose it.

An hour later Sara was almost regretting coming back to the lab when yet another piece of evidence was handed over for analysis. Greg looked at her apologetically as he handed her the bags and she rolled her eyes.

She was bent over some evidence when Nick came in surrounded by one of the most alluring smells. She stood up strait and placed a hand on her back, stretching out the kinks.

"Whoa Sara are you showing!" Nick covered his mouth as soon as the words came out of his mouth, but the damage was done. Sara slowly began to walk his way with a scowl on her face. "Sorry Sara…it's just…I brought lunch!" he exclaimed holding out a brown paper bag in front of him as a peace offering.

Sara stood there for a moment thinking, after a minute she shrugged her shoulder and took the bag from him, heading towards the break room for lunch. When she got there Catherine was sitting in one of the chairs already contemplating a plateful of food with lust in her eyes.

"She used to look at me that way" Warrick said behind her and she chuckled as he took a seat next to Catherine.

She felt a warm hand on her lower back and knew it was Grissom even before he leaned down for a kiss. He guided her to one of the un-occupied chairs at the table and helped her with her lunch before setting out his own.

Nick and Greg stood in the doorway with sickening looks on their faces. They both shook their heads and then went in to sit down with the rest. Sara gave Nick a warning look as she placed a forkful of veggie lasagna in her mouth.

Once the bite was in her mouth all other thoughts left and she immersed herself in the flavors. Ten minutes later and they were all done, Sara and Catherine licking the last remnants off their forks.

Greg cleared his throat and got up from the table. He went over to the fridge and pulled out a white box. Both women began eyeing him suspiciously as he headed back to the table and pulled open the lid just enough to peak in.

"So" Sara asked leaning forward "what you got there Greggo?" she finished.

"Oh, just a little something I picked up on my way in tonight" he commented as he opened the box fully. The aroma of chocolate filled the small room and he could have sworn the two women were salivating.

Sara reached into the box and dipped a finger into the frosting. She pulled it towards the box just to have it stopped right before her lips by Grissom's hand. She was about to protest when he enveloped her finger in his mouth and sucked the sweet concoction off.

Sara's eyes darkened two shades and warmth spread through her body. Grissom knew chocolate wasn't the only thing she craved these days, not that he minded. The moment was broken when they heard Cath clear her throat and a gagging noise emanating from both Greg and Nick.

Grissom gave them a stern look and took the plate Greg was holding out to him. He placed it in front of Sara and she dove right in, making noises he often heard in their bedroom. A moment later a tall glass of milk was placed in front of her as well and she thought she had died and gone to heaven.

The guys all inwardly chuckled at the two women who were sitting sedated in their chairs, filled with chocolate cake. Grissom got up from his chair and began clearing the table, the rest of the guys following suit.

When they were done they looked back to see Catherine and Sara both nodding off in their chairs. Warrick smiled over at Grissom and he nodded back. They looked at Nick and Greg "looks like code white guys, get moving" Grissom said to the two and they sprinted out of the room.

Grissom gently woke Sara and Warrick did the same to Cath. They woke just long enough to be escorted out of the room and towards one of the further layout rooms. When they got there they were surprised to see Greg and Nick just finishing up putting together a couple of cots complete with clean sheets and fluffy pillows.

Both women began to protest but when they were forced to lay down it only took a couple of seconds before they were asleep and the guys gently crept from the room. Nick headed for the layout room Sara was working in and took over from where she was and Warrick did the same for Cath.

Grissom headed towards his office to get the paperwork done and to go through the applications for the CSI job he advertised. He was not looking forward to telling Sara, knowing she might take it the wrong way but they were already beginning to fall behind.

Grissom was going through the last application an hour and half later when Sara came in looking refreshed and ready for work. "Find anyone yet?" she asked and was rewarded with a surprised look.

"Did you actually think I wouldn't get wind of it. I'm not mad, I know you guys need the help. I like being at work but I think tonight proved I can't do it for much longer. And I also know the same applies to Catherine." She stood in the doorway with her hands placed on her protruding belly and he thought it was the most beautiful sight he had ever seen.

"Have I told you lately how much I love you" he replied. She smiled and waddled her way back to her layout room.


	54. Chapter 54

Welcome to the family

**Disclaimer: OK I admit it, I don't own them.**

Welcome to the family

Two weeks later and Sara was standing in what she began to refer as her second home. Address, layout room # 1 while Cath had been relegated to the layout room next door. Grissom had finally managed to find a new CSI and the young woman was working out splendidly.

The only troublesome part about it was the woman was just the right age for Greg and he had eyes for her the moment she stepped in the lab that night…

Greg was heading down the isle when he witnessed the most delectable sight standing at the reception desk. "Hello, my name's Greg, the heavens must have a leak because I am seeing a ray of sunshine in my otherwise dreary night" he greeted as he took the young woman's hand and kissed it gallantly.

The receptionist butted in long enough to announce the young woman was the new CSI and she needed to see Grissom. Greg held out an elbow and she placed her hand in it, blushing slightly.

"If my lady would allow, I would be more than willing to escort her to the office in question."

The girl blushed again and let Greg escort her to Grissom's office.

Grissom was sitting at his desk running through the last of the paperwork before shift began when a young, energetic, woman came into his office, followed closely by Greg. She stood about five feet and had the oddest hair color, a mix between blond and brown. She looked like she was in her mid twenties and she had a spring to her step.

Greg had a gleam in his eye as he introduced the young woman to Grissom. "Greg, I already know who she is. I was the one who hired her" Grissom said as he gave Greg a warning look.

"Hello again Miss Jones, I know this is your first night but unfortunately the criminals never sleep. Greg page the others, we have a big case tonight."

Greg suddenly turned serious, took out his phone and sent a page to the rest of the team. They all assembled in the break room waiting for assignments.

Grissom came striding into the room, Greg and Miss Jones at his heals. He went up to Sara and helped her into her seat and gave her a peck on the cheek. Catherine was sitting at the table with Warrick at her side and Nick was sitting beside him. They all looked at the young woman and then at Grissom expectantly.

"Guys this is Miss Jones, Miss Jones this is Nick" Nick tipped his ball cap at her "Warrick, Catherine, and Sara. You already met Greg" he commented waving the young man to a seat. Cath and Sara greeted the young woman with warm smiles and Warrick shook her hand in greeting.

"Please call me Sam, short for Samantha." She said to the table as she took a seat.

"Sorry guys, but it looks like a busy night. There was a crash on the interstate, ten car pileup. Four deaths, five critical on their way to the hospital, and six with minor injuries. It's all hands on deck for this one."

That entire night and most of the next day was spent on that case and Sam more than qualified herself in the eyes of her new co-workers. Sara straightened herself up and placed her hands on her aching back. She was due to start her maternity leave in another four weeks and she was beginning to think that was too far away.

A pair of strong, warm hands began to massage her lower back and she practically purred with the sensation. She placed her hands on the counter to allow Grissom better access and he massaged the knot out of her back.

A minute later and he was wrapping his arms around her waist, "It was Nick's turn to buy lunch tonight" he said in a low tone placing his hands on her protruding belly.

"Does that mean?" she began to ask and he just hummed in reply while nodding his head. Sara practically ran him over heading for the break room and he laughed as he followed her out. He caught up to her just as she was taking her seat at the table. Catherine had smelled the food when it entered the lab and was sitting at the table already.

"Where's Sam?" Grissom questioned the group.

"Last time I saw her she was under one of the wrecks in the garage" Nick chimed in.

Greg bolted out of his chair and headed towards the garage to shortly return with the woman in question. They all greeted her and waved her in for lunch. Nick placed a plate in front of her while Warrick began to pass the food around.

"Wow" was all Sam got out before a dish was shoved her way. She gave it a sniff and then handed it off with a wrinkle of her nose.

"What's the matter?" Catherine asked as she took the container and spooned some onto her plate.

"It's chicken. I'm really sorry guys, but I don't eat meat." The entire table erupted in smiles as Sara handed her another container. Sam took a sniff of the contents and then gave her a questioning look. Sara just shrugged her shoulders "I don't either" she said.

Sam smiled and placed some of the food on her plate, taking a timid bite and then another, "This is really good" she said after the second bite.

"Yeah, there is a small restaurant about a mile from here that serves vegetarian versions of all their dishes. Nick found it about a month ago and I got hooked." Sara finished off before looking around the table.

Sam gave a confused look when Sara said "really guys, by now I would think you would know the drill" and she looked pointedly at the men. Nick got up and headed over to the fridge with a sigh.

"Prepare yourself Sam, this is not" he said as he placed the ketchup bottle on the table "going to be pretty" and practically gagged when Sara began to drown her Chinese in the red goop. Sam looked on in interest while Sara took a huge bite, closed her eyes, and hummed her satisfaction.

While the guys all held disgusted looks on their faces and Cath seemed to be contemplating it Sam reached over with her fork and took some. She placed the food in her mouth and chewed it contemplatively while the rest of the crew (Sara included) looked on in interest.

"Not that bad" she said when she was done "not for me, but not that bad."

"I can't believe you just…" Greg stammered.

"All ketchup is is a mixture of tomatoes, spices, sugar, and an acid. Not that much different from the sauce already in the food, it just…" she stopped talking when she looked around the table at their faces.

Sara looked on with a justified look while Grissom seemed to be impressed. Warrick, Nick and Greg still looked a bit put off but Cath grabbed the ketchup bottle and put some on her plate, finally finding validation for the ketchup in her own dish.

They all began to laugh when they heard Cath humming her own satisfaction as she ate the rest of her lunch. Grissom leaned in and kissed Sara before eating his own lunch.

"Welcome to the family" he said to Sam before taking a bite.

"Here, here" they all said and raised their soda cans in salute to the newest member.


	55. Chapter 55

Ok guys, the next couple of chapter are going to be filled with action

Ok guys, the next couple of chapters are going to be filled with action. So put on your seatbelts and get ready for the ride.

Plans called into Action

Sam continued to show her worth and Sara and Cath continued to increase their girth over the next couple of weeks. One night Sara and Sam were going over some evidence when Sara suddenly took in a deep breath.

Sam noticed right away and asked if she was alright, Sara just smiled over at the young woman, said she was fine and continued to go over the evidence. About twenty minutes later Sara was taking in yet another deep breath and this time Sam did not take her word for it.

"Sara, I'm going to go check on some other evidence I have with Archie" she said and quickly left the room. Sara saw right through her ploy but didn't have the energy to stop her. Only two minutes went by before Grissom came in the room, a slightly panicked look on his face.

"Gil I know what you're thinking and they are just some Braxton hicks contractions. I promise" she said on a sigh right before another one tore its way through her belly and she sucked in a breath. Grissom scrunched his brows at her and then took her hand and led her to the break room.

Catherine was sitting on one of the couches, her belly as large as Sara's even though she was a month behind her. She gave Sara a knowing look and then a glare at Grissom.

"He forcing you to rest too huh" she said a bit peeved.

"It's for your own good and you know it, so you better lie back down" he said back. Sara laid down on the couch and closed her eyes, worrying Cath a little. Sara never went down without a fight.

"Sara, you ok?" she asked, the worry showing in her voice.

"Yeah, just having some fake contractions" she said through a smile.

"Oh, I hate those. They hurt enough but do nothing for you" Cath said and then lay back down. It was twenty minutes later when Sara was breathing through yet another contraction.

"Sara, are they coming regular?" Cath asked her, looking at her face scrunched together in a painful frown.

"To tell you the truth I really haven't been paying attention" she replied as the contraction ebbed. Cath knew these kind of contractions were supposed to go away when Sara laid down. She kept an eye on the clock and fifteen minutes later Sara was having another one.

Cath said nothing until she witnessed Sara have two more, both the same amount of time between them. Sara remained there with her eyes closed and Cath pulled out her phone and texted Grissom. He came into the room about five minutes later and stood back, observing his wife.

Cath looked at the clock and then at him signaling she should be having another and Sara did not disappoint. She grimaced through the contraction and he was by her side in a moment, helping her through it.

"Sara, I don't think these are fake contractions" he said lightly. She was about to balk when she felt the wetness between her legs. Grissom saw her pants darken with the liquid as well and then looked in her eyes "I guess we need to get you to the hospital" and he helped her sit up.

"Better make that the two of us" Cath said from the other couch. Grissom looked over at her and was astounded to see her water had broken as well. _Wonderful_ he thought to himself as he pulled out his phone and sent out a text to the gang. Luckily it was a slow night and they were all in the building.

A moment later he heard Greg's voice yelling in the halls as he ran towards the break room "code purple people, code purple!"

Despite the pain Sara chuckled as a mass of people began to emerge from their offices and to their designated tasks. Greg came into the room with a wheelchair and then ran back out to retrieve the other one. They had everything mapped out.

Code blue if it was Sara, code yellow if it was Cath, and of course code purple if it was both of them, every one had a job and they had all practiced to be ready. Warrick came running into the room and headed over to Cath. "Are you ok?" he asked her tenderly.

"For now, I'm fine. But later, beware" she said back with a slight chuckle. Archie came in and stationed himself behind the wheelchair Greg had brought in just as Greg came in with the other.

Doc came into the room right after; he walked up to Sara and took her blood pressure and pulse, asked when her contractions started and when her water had broken. He listed all this on a card and then handed it to Grissom. He then went over to Cath and did the same, making sure to note that she was four weeks early and carrying twins.

He handed the card over to Warrick and then nodded his head. Nick came into the room "Hospital has been notified and Brass is waiting to escort us with a couple of cruisers" he said to the room. Grissom pulled Sara off the couch and helped her to the wheelchair while Warrick did the same.

They pushed the two of them to the entrance of the building to the waiting Denali's. Sam was behind the wheel of one of them and Nick placed himself behind the wheel of the other. Grissom helped Sara out of the wheelchair and into the Denali with Sam and Warrick helped Cath into the one with nick.

Greg got into Sara's and Archie into Cath's each equipped with a bag and they were on their way. Sara's contractions were only ten minutes apart now and Greg kept time while Grissom helped her through them.

When it was over he handed over a bottle of water from his bag to Sara. He then opened another one and poured some of it in a zip bag with a washcloth.

When he was done he wrung it out and handed it to Grissom just in time for another contraction to rip its way through Sara. Grissom placed the washcloth on her head and rubbed small circles on her stomach. Greg noted the time on the card and reset the stopwatch.

They had clocked their quickest time to the hospital at thirty minutes but they managed to get there in 25 to the relief of everyone involved. There were two nurses with wheelchairs waiting for them when they arrived and they were both taken straight to the maternity ward right away.


	56. Chapter 56

Sara's labor

Sara's labor

When they arrived at the maternity floor they were escorted to their separate rooms and hooked to every machine known to man. Grissom handed the nurse the card when she began to ask questions and was astounded at the efficiency.

"Scientists" Sara said in response to the look on her face and the nurse smiled in understanding. She took Sara's vitals and then began to hook her up to an IV, explaining everything she was doing. A moment later and a contraction began to climb.

Grissom watched the needle on the machine as the contraction began to take over Sara and she moaned with the pain. He grabbed her hand and dabbed a cool washcloth onto her head.

"It hurts Gil" she hissed out while the contraction peaked and then slowly began to climb back down.

Sara let out her breath as the needle on the machine planed out again. Grissom rubbed slow steady circled across her abdomen to dispel any discomfort and she completely relaxed. The nurse injected some pain medication into Sara's IV to make her more comfortable.

"I gave you some medicine to make you more comfortable, though you will still feel the contractions. It will only take the edge off." That's better than nothing Sara thought to herself as she felt her abdomen tighten once more.

Grissom was steady by her side for the next hour as the contractions came closer and closer together. The doctor came in and checked her "four centimeters, your doing great Sara" he encouraged her. Grissom fed her ice chips between contractions and Sara managed through the pain until a whopper of a contraction overtook her.

Grissom thought the needle was going to go off the paper as his wife sat beside him in the bed and practically screamed with the pain. The nurse helped her through the contraction and then suggested it was time for the epidural. Sara was more than willing to consent, having discussed all options with Grissom before this day had come.

When the anesthesiologist came into the room with the equipment Sara thought she had never seen someone she loved more. The man explained he got that from every patient he saw and went on to explain what was going to be done.

Sara sat on the edge of the bed bent over while Grissom stood in front of her holding her hair away from her face and a cool cloth to her neck. They waited until the next contraction was done and then the doctor began to insert a small needle attached to a tube into Sara's back.

"Sara, I want you to take in a deep breath and then hold it for me ok" he instructed her. She hummed her consent, "ok Sara, deep breath. This will hurt a little but it's worth it" again she hummed and then took in a deep breath.

The doctor inserted the needle, "great Sara, you can breath normal now" and he began to tape the tube to her back and up to her shoulder. He attached the other end of the tube to the dispensing machine and pushed a button.

Grissom couldn't help but be fascinated but averted his attention when Sara sucked in a breath at the pain. He looked up at the doctor and was reassured, "It's normal to have some discomfort when the medication begins to flow. Just take in a deep breath Sara."

Sara did as she was instructed and then laid back when the doctor told her to. "It will only take a minute for the medication to take effect. You will still be able to feel some of the contractions but it will only be a minor discomfort." Sara nodded her head and placed her hands on her stomach.

She felt her son kicking at the monitor on her stomach and smiled. Grissom looked over at the machine and noticed the needle once again begin to rise, but instead of yelling in pain Sara was falling asleep in the bed. Grissom looked back over at the machine and watched in wonder at what was happening to his wife's body.

Every half an hour a nurse came in and checked on her progress, two hours later and Sara was receiving yet another exam. The nurse stood up and smiled at them, "your nine centimeters and almost 100 effaced, looks like your almost there" she said to them both and then left the room.

Grissom and Sara looked at each other, Sara with tears in her eyes and Grissom pretty close to doing the same. A moment later and Sara sucked in a breath as she felt a contraction overtake her. This one was different than the rest, it was sharp and stabbing. A moment after the contraction ebbed the nurse came in followed by another.

"Nurse, I felt a very sharp contraction" Sara said quickly. The nurse came over and took Sara's hand "It's ok Sara, these contractions are different because you are just about ready to push." Sara took in a deep breath and then exhaled it.

The nurse checked her one last time and looked up at them, "that contraction must have done it because you are ready dear" and she and the other nurse began to prepare her to push. The bed was converted to birthing mode and the pain medication turned down so she could push. The doctor came in moments later and checked Sara for himself.

Grissom was stationed on one side while a nurse was on the other. "Ok Sara, I want you to do a preliminary push alright, when the next contraction comes I'm going to tell you to push but if I say stop you need to stop and breathe through it alright?" Sara nodded her head and began to feel the next contraction come.

"Ok Sara push" he said confidently "stop Sara, that was good. Now with the next one we are going to count to 8" he put his gown on and the nurse placed a tray next to him.

The doctor looked over at Grissom "ok dad, when Sara gets ready to push I need you to grab her knee and pull it towards her head, don't worry it wont hurt her ok" Grissom nodded his head in agreement and then leaned down and kissed Sara on the head.

Sara felt the next contraction coming and grimaced with the pain. "ok Sara push" the doctor instructed and she pushed with all her might. "good job, one, two, keep going, four, five, keep going, seven, eight…ok rest" the doctor instructed.

"Sara your doing great, now on the next one I want you to push with all your might and then stop when I tell you" he instructed looking in her eyes. She nodded her head, sweat making her hair stick to the sides of her face.

The next contraction came and she leaned forward as the nurse and Grissom pulled her legs back. She gritted her teeth and pushed while they all began to count to 8. Grissom witnessed as the head of his son began to crown. "one more Sara" the doctor instructed and Sara once again pushed while they counted.

The baby's head emerged "ok Sara stop, breath through it" the doctor said as he helped the baby turn "ok Sara one more push." Sara took in a deep breath and pushed the baby all the way out, collapsing on the bed knowing it was done. Grissom watched as the doctor suctioned the baby's mouth and nose.

Suddenly the room was filled with the sound of a crying baby. Sara began to cry and the doctor asked if Grissom wanted to cut the cord. He did and was surprised to find it ropelike and hard to cut. When he was done the doctor wrapped the baby and placed him on Sara.

Sara looked down at their son and marveled at him. She looked up at Grissom to find tears in his eyes as he looked at his son.

"He's ours Gil, we made him. Isn't he beautiful?"


	57. Chapter 57

Catherine's Labor

Catherine's Labor

Catherine was settled into her bed and attached to all the right machines. Two steady heartbeats played out an intricate rhythm when the monitor was attached and it made both her and Warrick smile and sigh.

Suddenly the smile on her face was removed and replaced with a grimace as the first contraction made it's way through her body. She had been through this before but she couldn't remember it being this painful.

The nurse came back into the room to gather information and was promptly handed a card. She looked up at the couple in astonishment, this being the second couple with such a thing.

"You wouldn't happen to know the couple next door would you?" she asked them as she hooked Cath up to an IV. The two of them smiled back at her.

"Mr. and Mrs. Grissom are good friends of ours and we all work together" Warrick answered the nurse. She nodded her head and continued to hook Catherine up. The doctor was in shortly to check on her and when he did he was astounded to find she was already at 8 centimeters.

He looked up at the couple "Seems these little ones are in a hurry" he commented and then instructed the nurses to get everything ready. There was a flurry of movement as all the equipment was brought in.

The doctor noticed the worried look on Cath's face and reassured her this was normal for second pregnancies. Just as the doctor was finishing a contraction ripped its way through her body, taking her off guard as she sucked in a breath and stiffened with the pain.

Warrick held her hand while the contraction climbed and ebbed. The doctor checked her one more time, "looks like your ready Catherine. When I say push I want you to give me a good one OK."

She nodded her head and began to feel her stomach tighten with the contraction as it overtook her body. Warrick held her leg as she gave a good push. The doctor was surprised but ready when the baby came out in one push.

The doctor suctioned the baby "it's a girl" he announced before allowing Warrick to cut the cord. Due to the premature nature of the birth she was whisked off to the nursery for a thorough checkup and some time under the UV light.

Once the afterbirth was delivered the doctor checked her one more time and found she had gone down to four centimeters. He was just finishing when a contraction made its way around her belly and into her back. Cath yelled with the pain and grabbed Warrick's hand, squeezing it with all her might.

"Looks like this one is going to take its time" the doctor said after another hour of contractions. Soon afterwards the anesthesiologist came in to see her and administer an epidural. Again the doctor received praise for being one of the most loved individuals in the hospital.

Warrick smiled down at Cath as she began to relax once the medicine took effect. She managed to get in a little nap before the doctor came in and checked on her. Apparently the epidural sped the process up and she was once again being prepped for delivery.

Cath managed to deliver their son in just under an hour of pushing and was forever grateful to have it over with. This baby was also whisked to the nursery but their daughter was soon brought in.

Warrick and Cath both looked at the little bundle now nestled in the crook of her arm and enjoyed the feel of parenthood. Soon their son was brought in and Warrick held him while Cath began to nurse their daughter.

Warrick sat and watched as his little girl suckled and was overrun with a feeling of accomplishment and pride for Cath, he looked her in the eye and an understanding look passed between the two. For once there were no words needed.


	58. Chapter 58

Babies Galore

Babies Galore

Grissom sat next to Sara looking at her and his son when he heard a light knock on the door. A second later Lindsey poked her head in along with Ashley. Grissom reached down and grabbed the little girl, giving her a tickle before heading over to Sara.

"Baby" Ashley said when she saw Sara holding their son.

"Yes baby" Sara said back as Grissom leaned Ashley in for a closer look. The little girl smiled at the baby and gently touched him on the head. Both Sara and Grissom smiled at the contact. Grissom could tell Sara was getting tired "how about we take little Joshua to the nursery and then go and get some lunch?" he asked the little girl.

Ashley nodded her head enthusiastically at seeing another part of the hospital. Grissom gave Sara a kiss and a hug followed by Ashley. Ashley helped him push the bassinette with the sleeping baby back to the nursery and the two of them headed down to the cafeteria.

When they got back to the room Sara was not there. He heard laughter emanating from the room next door, Cath's room and he and Ashley headed over there. He found Sara in a chair next to Cath's bed and the both of them were holding a baby in their arms. Warrick was on the other side of Cath and he too was holding a baby.

"Hey guys" he said as they entered the room. Cath's face lit up when she saw Ashley.

"Hey sweetie" she said to the little girl and Ashley smiled in response. She then looked around the room and noticed all the babies. She pulled on Grissom's pant leg and he crouched down to her so they met eye to eye.

"Daddy, lots of babies?" she asked him. Grissom chuckled before responding "Yes bug, lots of babies."

He picked her up and headed over to the bed to introduce her. "This is Catherine's son and daughter" he said motioning to first one and then the other baby. Her eyes grew wide and she looked over at Cath. Grissom came in close and Ashley did the same to this baby that she had done to Joshua.

Cath looked at her tenderly and placed a hand on her cheek. "Ashley, this is Elizabeth and this" she motioned for Warrick to come closer and he did "is Michael."

Ashley looked at both the babies and smiled just as they heard rustling coming from the doorway. They all looked at the source of the noise and found what seemed to be the whole of the night crew standing there, cluttering the hallway.

"Come in guys" Cath said to them all and they all began to crowd into the room. "Good thing I got a private room" she laughed out causing them all to smile.

They were all there, the lab rats included. Sam was standing towards the back and Sara motioned for her to come forward. She joined the rest of them and they all collectively stared at the babies, their arms all laden with gifts, balloons, flowers and other objects.

An hour later and cries emanated through the room "sounds like some hungry babies" Nick commented and they all nodded in agreement. Warrick, Catherine, Sara, and Grissom looked at him pointedly. Getting the point he cleared his throat and began pushing the rest of them out the door.

Sara got up and she and Grissom headed back to her room so she could nurse Joshua while Catherine readied to nurse the first of the twins. Once settled Sara began to nurse while Grissom looked on in amazement. She was a natural he thought to himself as he settled into the chair next to her, Ashley sound asleep in his lap.

**I wasn't planning on ending this chapter here, but it was such a great way to do it. Hope you enjoyed it.**


	59. Chapter 59

Going Home

**Here is the last chapter guys. It was a fun ride. Hope you liked it. **

**Connie**

Going Home

Three days later and they were all ready to go home, even the twins got a clean bill of health. It took a good twenty minutes to load all the stuff the guys had gotten them into the waiting cars. Finally managing to get the children and the gifts into the cars Cath and Sara gave each other a hug and parted to their individual ways.

When Sara and Grissom got home Sara took the baby and Grissom grabbed the sleeping Ashley. They headed in and Sara settled on the couch while Grissom took Ashley to her room. He came back and sat next to her while she nursed their son.

He could never get enough of watching her be a mother. The love she showed to their son and daughter when she looked at them took his breath away every time and he wouldn't exchange it for anything in the world. Sara looked up at him and smiled wide.

The next four weeks flew by as they grew accustomed to their new life. Joshua was a great baby and they were thankful for it. Ashley loved her little brother and helped in any way she could. She stood by and watched while either Sara or Grissom changed his diaper. She sat next to Sara in rapture while he was nursed.

Amazingly Ashley knew when he needed food, or when he was tired, when he needed a change, or even when he just needed to be cuddled. She was allowed to sit on the couch and Josh was placed in her lap. She loved this most of all as she sat and held her brother, watched closely by Sara and Grissom.

Cath came to the house at least twice a week and the two women shared and deepened their friendship even more. Lindsey still came over almost on a daily basis to see them, excited for the time she would be watching them both. Her and one of her friends were going to open a small nanny service to help them through college.

Grissom returned to work a week after Josh was born and missed them greatly when he was gone. Him and Warrick on more than one occasion would sit and compare notes on fatherhood, the two of them experiencing it for the first time, Greg and Nick sitting with them and laughing at some of their stories.

"The guys really miss you" Grissom said one morning while eating breakfast with them.

"I miss them too, I was thinking…" she trailed off.

"What were you thinking?" he asked while intercepting Ashley's hand as she attempted to get some more bacon before eating her eggs. "Ashley I told you, eat your eggs" he said to the girl.

Ashley pouted her mouth, crossed her hands, and sat in her chair scowling. Sara smiled at the child and then looked back at Grissom "I was thinking we could invite the shift over for a bar-b-que" she said and Ashley's eyes lit up.

"Uncle War coming too?" she asked and Sara nodded her head "but you better eat your eggs" and the little girl dove into them. Grissom and Sara chuckled.

"I think that's a great idea" he replied before finishing their breakfast and heading to bed.

Sara and Cath spent the next two weeks planning everything out and the team grew excited with the prospect. Invites were sent out to the team and even Hodges received one, which surprised him greatly. Sam had been enfolded into the family and she and Greg were now dating.

Nick even had a girl he wanted everyone to meet. Time flew by and the day of the get together came. The team all had a chance to get a good nights sleep before the event and were well refreshed when they showed at the house later that day. Cath and Warrick were the first to show, being a little early to help set up.

They had just finished the salads when Greg and Sam showed up with a bag full of chips and snacks. Ashley came up to them and hugged them each, causing them both to smile. Greg grabbed the little girl into his arms and gave her a tickle. She rewarded his efforts with a giggling fit.

Sam took the bag into the kitchen and helped them get things ready. Soon Nick and his girlfriend showed up, again being happily rewarded with a hug from Ashley. He introduced his girlfriend, Mary, to the group and they conversed until the next people came.

Surprisingly Hodges and Mandy came in the same car, receiving looks from the rest of them. Al and his wife showed up shortly after and then the rest of the lab rats showed. The house was full to the brim with laughter, conversation, and the sound of friendship.

Grissom and Nick cooked the meat and argued jovially over which was better, a t-bone steak or a rack of ribs when Warrick came over and said they were both right. They laughed when they saw Sam give Greg a playful push into the sprinkler and then laughed even harder when Hank came up to him and plowed him back into it.

The entire group was having a great time when dinner was announced and they began to shuffle towards the large table that had been set up. Food was passed and stories were shared. Laughter was exchanged as playful banter arose. Sara looked over at Grissom and smiled her wide smile.

Grissom got the attention of everyone and held up his glass, "To family and to coming home." They all looked back at him and nodded.

_Family_ he thought to himself as he looked around, _this is family._


	60. Chapter 60

I know I said that was the last chapter, but I couldn't help myself

**I know I said that was the last chapter, but I couldn't help myself. I had to give you all an epilog. It just came to me this morning, and I sat down and began to write. Hope you like it and thanks for all the wonderful reviews.**

**Connie**

Sara was searching frantically through her jewelry box when she yelled out to Grissom "Gil honey, have you seen my earrings?"

"No dear, but I can guess where they went" he called out to her, trying in vain to wrestle his four year old son, Trevor, into his tie.

"Joshua" Sara yelled out "you better bring my earrings back right now, little man."

"But mom"

"Don't but mom me, now bring them here."

Six year old Josh slowly came into the room with his head held down, "I was only borrowing them, we needed a treasure." He handed them over to her and she smiled at him.

"I know honey, but these were a gift from daddy, and I don't want them lost. We'll buy you some treasure after the wedding alright?"

Josh's face lit up and he ran out of the room "Ashley guess what" she heard before he made it out.

"I take it my guess was right?" Grissom said as he came into the room.

"As always, that boy is into everything" she said while putting her earrings on in front of the mirror.

"You look fantastic" he whispered into her ear and placing his hands on her stomach.

"I do not, I look like a whale" at that moment one of the babies decided to kick "and now I have to pee again" she said before huffing and making her way to the bathroom once again.

Grissom chuckled lightly.

"I heard that."

"I'm going to go make sure the kids are ready, we have an hour before we need to be at the church." He made his way out of the room and finished getting the kids ready.

They made it to the church on time and were greeted by Warrick "Hey Sara, you look great! Hey Griss."

"Thank you Warrick, how's the groom doing?"

"He's ok, a little nervous" he replied.

"I'm going to go see him real quick" she said to Grissom and he nodded his head, gave her a peck on the cheek and headed the kids to their seats.

Sara made her way to the groom's dressing room and found Nick, Archie, and David all dressed to the nines.

Nick saw her first "hey girl, you look like your going to pop."

"Thanks Nick" she said with a raised eyebrow, "I'll take that as a complement."

"Sorry Sis, didn't mean it that way." Archie and David sniggered and said hello.

"Hey Greg, you doing all right?"

"Yeah, I'm fine"

"You look really nice, I thought this day would never come" Sara said as she found a chair. Greg was dashing in his twenties style tux. He and Sam were finally getting married. It only took him six years to get up the nerve to ask.

"Yeah, yeah. Sam did too. Have you seen her? Is she alright?" he asked quickly.

"That's my next stop, just wanted to make sure you weren't going to pass out or anything" she commented trying to get back up. Greg and Nick rushed over to help, she was thankful.

"Thanks, getting harder and harder to get up these days."

"I know what you mean" said Nick, "Mandy's having the same problem."

"When is she due?" Sara asked.

"Not for another month, but we're both excited." Sara smiled, remembering what it was like when she was pregnant with Josh.

"Well, I'm going to go see the bride. You two behave" she said before giving Greg a hug and leaving.

"Sam you look beautiful" Sara said as she came into the bride's room. Cath was just finishing putting on Sam's train.

"Thank you so much" Sam said, giving Sara a hug, well as much as she could anyway.

"I really wish I could have had you as one of my bridesmaids."

"I know, but standing that long would not have been advisable" Sara said, "and you have Cath."

Catherine looked over at Sara and saw the discomfort she was going through, remembering what it was like to carry twins. "You look really good Sara."

"Oh please, you know how I really feel" and the two of them began to laugh.

The wedding went off without a hitch, Greg and Sam were married and the reception was a blast. Everyone was there. Doc Robins and his wife brought two of their grandchildren and along with the Brown twins, and the Grissom trio, there were plenty of children to keep the adults busy.

Brass was there with his new girlfriend and Ellie, who had gotten cleaned up and was now in school to become a teacher.

Ecklie was there with his wife, he was actually the one to eliminate the rule on co-worker relations being prohibited in the lab. He had to. Nick was married to Mandy, Grissom to Sara, Warrick to Cath, and now Greg to Sam. There was just no way around it.

The night crew of the CSI lab was the most successful in the country, and looking around Ecklie could see why, they were just one big family.

"Hey Conrad" Sara yelled over to him and his wife "come and join us."

Ecklie was happy he finally decided to become part of the best family there was. He looked at his wife and smiled at her before the two of them made their way over to their extended family.

The End

**I couldn't help myself ending this story with these thoughts. I have always thought Ecklie was better than what his character on screen is often portrayed as. As always, I ask that you please leave a review and let me know your thoughts. This was a great ride and I enjoyed every minute of it.**

**Connie**


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